It might be hard to believe, but as of Thursday, the New York Yankees don’t have a single infielder with a .730 OPS or higher. No, not even those with limited playing time or those who are currently on the shelf. First baseman Ben Rice has the highest OPS for a Bombers’ infielder at .721; the rest of them are under .700: Anthony Rizzo (.630), DJ LeMahieu (.498), Oswaldo Cabrera (.628), Jahmai Jones (.685), Anthony Volpe (.681), Gleyber Torres (.671), J.D. Davis (.385) and Jon Berti (.649).
Yes, the Yankees also have two of the very best players in the MLB in Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, but it’s hard to get far with such an unproductive infield. You could easily make an argument that they could use four new infielders, but they aren’t going to give up on Volpe and Torres might lose some playing time, but it’s hard to see him erased from the depth chart.
They will prioritize infield help, though, or at least they should. According to recent reports, they could potentially pursue two big-time infield upgrades: Tampa Bay Rays’ Isaac Paredes and Cincinnati Reds’ Jonathan India.
The Yankees could vastly improve their infield with these two players
Isaac Paredes
The Rays still don’t know if they will be buyers, sellers, or if they will stand pat. If they decide to trade some of their players to get prospects in return, the Yankees should definitely be open to bringing in Paredes.
The versatile slugger can play first, second, and third base, and has also played some shortstop earlier in his career. He is slashing a strong .248/.351/.442 with 16 home runs, 51 RBI, and a .793 OPS.
The Yankees will definitely have competition for Paredes’ services, though, as the Houston Astros are already said to be interested.
Jonathan India
India is not only a rock-solid infielder who can play second and third base, but he also could solve one of the Yankees’ glaring issues: the leadoff spot. He has scored 50 runs at the top of the Reds’ batting order, and due to his on-base ability (.374 OPS in 2024, .355 for his career), he would be an asset right in front of Soto and Judge.
Multiple reports indicate that the Yankees are interested in swinging a deal with the Reds for the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year.
It will all depend on whether the Reds decide to move him or not, but they have the infield depth to absorb the loss and could definitely use the prospects they would get in return. India’s .789 OPS for the year would bring some much-needed competent at-bats for the Yankees’ lineup.
