For all intents and purposes, the New York Yankees should 100% be looking to retain star infielder DJ LeMahieu, but there is one blockbuster scenario where things are completely bouncing off the walls. The Yankees tend to appeal to the biggest players in baseball, and shortstop Francisco Lindor has been linked to the Bronx for quite some time.
The rumor mill always has Lindor and the Yankees on the same wave-length, and why would it be any different in 2020?
With Lindor still under team control by the Cleveland Indians, he’s arbitration-eligible in 2021, so selling high on him is the perfect move for Cleveland, especially if they can gain back some essential prospect value.
The Yankees are a suitable option for Cleveland in a potential trade, but so are the New York Mets. Yankee fans have been calling for Lindor for quite some time, given his consistency and absolute dominance in the MLB over six seasons. This past campaign, he hit .258 with eight homers and 27 RBIs. This was his worst season by far, but the sample size was also slashed.
In 2019, Lindor hit .284 with 32 homers and 74 RBIs, ranking 15th in MVP voting and winning a Gold Glove. Not only is he an offensive weapon, but he’s also one of the best defensive short stops in the MLB. This is where the Yankees come in to play, as they currently have Gleyber Torres trying to fill a spot that he simply has struggled to adapt to.
Lindor has never dropped below a .974 fielding percentage, which came in his rookie season. In 2019, he had 10 errors over 137 games, turning 68 double plays, and had 11 defensive runs saved above average.
When flashing over to Gleyber, his defensive statistics don’t even match up remotely. In 2019, he spent 77 games at shortstop, earning a .961 fielding percentage with 11 errors. Just from those numbers alone, you can see the difference.
How are the New York Yankees acquire Lindor, and where would DJ LeMahieu go?
This is the only outside chance I see regarding LeMahieu’s departure. I feel as though the Yankees understand his value and will do anything they can to retain him, but the only way they let him walk is if they acquire Lindor and move Torres back to second base. They will have a stellar infield, moving Torres back to a more comfortable position and injecting of the best shortstops of this generation at a spot of defensive liability.