The offseason has been going pretty slowly to this point. Only a handful of major free agents have committed their future, but most of the top players are still available: Trevor Bauer, George Springer, Liam Hendriks, Brad Hand, Marcell Ozuna… and DJ LeMahieu. The New York Yankees are reportedly making him a priority, but so far, the two sides haven’t been able to find common ground.
According to the latest report on Sunday, the infielder is growing frustrated with the New York Yankees’ lack of initiative and willingness to meet his demands. He reportedly wants at least five years and well north of $100 million, but the Bombers, so far, have refused to budge.
Per Yahoo! Sports columnist Tim Brown, the slow offseason could be explained by the “lost revenue from last summer, the fear of similar conditions ahead and, as some players suspect, an opportunity for club owners to artificially tamp salaries for the coming years.”
The Yankees could definitely use LeMahieu
LeMahieu was the Yankees’ best player in the last two seasons, per Fangraphs’ version of WAR. He led the major leagues in batting average in the shortened 2020 season with a .364 mark. And he feels like the Yankees aren’t valuing him the way they should.
“A two-time batting champ and the New York Yankees’ best player for two seasons running, LeMahieu, according to a source close to his family, has become dismayed by the slow-play tactics of the Yankees, along with other clubs. Teams that have engaged with the LeMahieu camp say LeMahieu expects more than Josh Donaldson’s four-year, $92 million deal with the Minnesota Twins and at least on par with J.D. Martinez’s five years and $110 million with the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees, LeMahieu’s preferred club after two successful seasons in the Bronx, have not met those terms.
“The 32-year-old LeMahieu has, therefore, asked his representatives to re-engage with teams that have previously shown the most interest, the source said, among them the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets, and to reconnect with teams that reached out early in the free agent period, including the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox and others.”
It has been a long, grueling offseason for free agents. Uncertainty is still ahead, it appears. And LeMahieu wants to secure his future as soon as possible. Will the Yankees be able to retain him?