One of the New York Yankees highest priorities this offseason is re-signing all-star second-baseman DJ LeMahieu. His two-year, $24 million deal has expired, making him one of the most desirable players on the free-agent market.
That being said, there’s a chance that the Yankees won’t be able to re-sign him this offseason. If they can’t, they’ll need to find a middle-infielder to replace him.
One candidate to replace LeMahieu could be veteran shortstop Andrelton Simmons.
Simmons, 31, made his MLB debut at just 22 years old for the Atlanta Braves. In just his first full season, Simmons won a Gold Glove as well as the Platinum Glove, and placed in the top-15 in MVP voting. Simmons would win another Gold Glove in his second season with Atlanta. He spent through 2015 with the Braves before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels prior to the 2016 season.
With the Angels, he’d finish in the top-15 of MVP voting and win Gold Gloves two more times. Through his nine-year career, Simmons has a .269 average with a .696 OPS and a 91 OPS+. His career WAR stands at 36.6.
Simmons could be a good replacement for LeMahieu for a few reasons. One is that the team could get Simmons for cheaper than they’d likely be able to get LeMahieu. Simmons could be signed for no more than $10 million, being that he’s an average hitter and an elite defender.
Another advantage of signing Simmons would be that it’ll allow Gleyber Torres to shift back to second-base. Torres has struggled defensively at shortstop, and is a much better defender at second.
The Yankees would ideally like to re-sign DJ LeMahieu on a multi-year deal. However, if they are unable to do so, signing Andrelton Simmons could be a good alternate option.