The New York Yankees are dealing with injuries at some key positions, which could lead to big changes before Opening Day at the end of this month. Third baseman DJ LeMahieu is nursing a calf injury that may keep him out of action for some time and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is going to begin the season on the injured list with pain in both of his elbows.
Yankees’ Aaron Boone suggests the possibility of adding an infielder
Therefore, the Yankees need to have a contingency plan in place to have those areas properly addressed before the start of the season. In an interview with the YES Network during Monday’s Spring Training contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Aaron Boone provided some insight on what could be in store for the infield.
“I think [Oswaldo Cabrera] is very much in the middle of the picture, especially against right-handed pitching,” Boone said. “We’ll just kind of weigh those options too and see if something emerges from camp or things happen in and around baseball, moves happen late. So we’ll see but I like where both Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza are at right now.”
As for the designated hitter spot, Boone mentioned Ben Rice and Dom Smith as potential options while Stanton is out. Jon Heyman of the New York Post also noted that the team is actively considering signing veteran free agent J.D. Martinez to replace Stanton.
Third base was a glaring issue for New York all offseason. As of right now, LeMahieu, Cabrera, and Peraza are their only viable third base options. If they were to acquire an infielder, they could move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to third base and put that new infielder at second base.
The Yankees need to find a solution at third base
The Yankees arguably needed to make an infield acquisition before LeMahieu’s injury, as he was one of the lowest-qualified hitters in baseball last season and has dropped off defensively as well. Now, with his status for the start of the season uncertain, they will likely take another look at the trade market to see what is available.
They had been rumored numerous times throughout the offseason to be actively pursuing St. Louis Cardinals third baseman and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner Nolan Arenado. However, multiple reports have shut down the possibility of Arenado coming to the Bronx, so they will have to look elsewhere to find a solution at third base.
Opening Day is approximately three weeks away, so they will have to act fast if they want to make a key addition to a team that is hoping to return to the World Series in 2025.