New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has worked tirelessly to find a compromise with DJ LeMahieu on his future extension, and while the negotiations have carried into the hot stove months, their attention hasn’t waivered. However, with the extension taking a bit longer than expected, LeMahieu’s representatives have begun listening to other offers, notably from the Toronto Blue Jays, who are aggressively pursuing the star infielder.
The Yankees have the leverage, as they wait for other teams to offer LeMahieu’s value, which could end up working in Cashman’s favor. Ideally, alternative teams fail to offer more than the Bombers, which would force DJ’s reps to settle for the best offer, which seems to have in the four-year range at $25 million per season.
Aside from LeMahieu’s contract, the Yankees are still looking to add starting pitching and potentially a relief pitcher, as well. There are several options on the market at both positions that could intrigue Cashman, who’s looking to stay beneath the $210 million luxury tax threshold. With James Paxton, J.A. Happ, and Masahiro Tanaka departing, the Yankees have about $52 million opening up, but ownership prefers to keep the spending to a minimum, at least until DJ’s situation is figured out.
Two free agents the New York Yankees should consider:
Jake Odorizzi:
With the Yankees needing starting pitching, Jake Odorizzi represents a solid option they could take a flyer on in free agency. While he only pitched in 13.2 innings this past year with the Minnesota Twins, he had a solid 2019 campaign, earning a 3.51 ERA with 10.08 strikeouts per nine.
The only downside regarding Odorizzi is his ground-ball rate, which hovers in the 33% range. At Yankee Stadium, pitchers who produce high ground-ball rates are usually preferred, but he does have a stellar range of pitches.
Odorizzi features a fastball, slider, cutter, curveball, and changeup. His primary pitchers are his fastball, cutter, and slider, but he likes to utilize a variety to keep hitters on their toes.
He would likely be a cheaper option for the Yankees, and at 30 years old, he still has plenty of juice left in his arm.
Chris Archer:
After failing to land a tendered contract by the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chris Archer hit free agency with plenty of interest. He last pitched in 2019, finishing with a 5.19 ERA, but has had more successful seasons in the past.
Archer has solid strikeout numbers and doesn’t walk too many batters, but does give up more hits than you would prefer. He also allowed 25 homers in 2019 over 119.2 innings. He is a low-cost option the Yankees could look at to provide depth in the rotation, especially with some higher-priced options struggling in 2020 and injuries plagued the unit all season long.