Taking a look at one significant player the New York Yankees must extend immediately:
If there’s any one player on the New York Yankees that deserves an extension, it is former Colorado Rockie infielder, DJ LeMahieu. Last season, LeMahieu was one of the most consistent players for the Bombers, and his first year with the team.
A 31 years old, nobody thought that LeMahieu would join the Yanks and perform the way he did. He posted a .327 batting average with 26 homers and 102 RBIs, both career-highs. He was an All-Star and finished fourth in MVP rankings.
The most exciting part about his season what his ability to fill roles that the Yankees desperately needed to supplement. Injuries at first base, shortstop, and even third base for a little while were held over by LeMahieu, who proved himself to be the ultimate utility man. With just one year left on his contract, retaining him should be a priority for general manager Brian Cashman. Not only has he established himself as a leader on the team, but with injuries piling up, the Yankees need to have healthy and consistent players on the roster, especially ones who can play multiple positions.
However, the Yankees will feature LeMahieu at his most comfortable spot, second base. With Gleyber Torres taking over the shortstop position, the former Rockie will start the season in his preferred position. In 2019, he posted a .993 fielding percentage with just two errors at second base over 75 games.
He played 52 games at third base and 40 games at first base, showing his diversity and quality all over the infield. His worst position by far was on the hot corner, where he posted a .963 fielding percentage. Compared to Gio Urshela, who took over the spot, he posted a .954 fielding percentage over 123 games. While that’s over double the number of games LeMahieu played, he showed his versatility and ability to hold down the position if need be.
His overall value is significant, and extending him for another two years is justified. I would expect them to find a deal in the coming months if not toward the end of the 2020 campaign if baseball even managers to return.