Getty Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu
There are only so many roster spots on a big-league team, and with the Yankees already diving into making additions at the MLB trade deadline, there will be some difficult decisions to make. Whenever a player comes up, someone must go down, or out altogether. The addition of Jazz Chisholm over the weekend, for example, led to the dumping of infielder JD Davis, who never got much of an opportunity to play this year after he was acquired from the A’s in June.
More additions will require more cuts, especially because the Yankees are unlikely to make any trades that involve their big-league roster. If the Yankees bring in a new first baseman, there is a chance that rookie Ben Rice could drop back to the minors, but for the most part, any position-player additions beyond Chisholm will require a tough cut.
And popular veteran DJ LeMahieu might be the one that needs to go. That speculation comes from the New York Post, which notes that the team values utility man Oswaldo Cabrera, who has filled the team’s gap at third base in recent weeks and has hit .302 in July.
Wrote Mark Sanchez on Sunday: “Among the many moving parts that will be affected by the transactions ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline is Cabrera’s role.
“Chisholm’s presence could bump LeMahieu into a more permanent backup position (unless the Yankees get drastic with a player who is owed significant money through 2026). … If Cabrera stays, the Yankees could look toward Jahmai Jones or even LeMahieu.”
DJ LeMahieu Not the Same Since Foot Injury
That would represent a drastic fall for LeMahieu, who signed a six-year, $90 million contract in 2021 with the Yankees and is owed $30 million over the next two seasons. LeMahieu is a three-time All-Star and two-time batting champ.
But, remember, the Yankees’ problems at third base began with LeMahieu suffering a bone bruise in his foot during Spring Training, which was bad enough to keep him out of the start of the season. When potential replacement Jon Berti also went down, the Yankees were left scrambling.
LeMahieu batted just .243 with an OPS of .718 in 2023, and after finally returning to the lineup at the end of May, he struggled badly. He has hit just .176 this year, and has four extra-base hits in 136 at-bats. It is hard to imagine a role for LeMahieu in the Yankees’ coming stretch push and potential playoff run, as he is just 2-for-34 over his last 12 games, a .069 batting average.
Yankees Will Move Jazz Chisholm to 3B
Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed on Sunday that, though Chisholm started off in center field against the Red Sox, he hopes to transition the new guy to third base over time. That is something of a surprise because while Chisholm’s versatility was one reason the team targeted him at the trade deadline, he has mostly played centerfield and second base in his career.
He has some experience at shortstop, but not at third. But, happy to be bolting from the doldrums of the Marlins, Chisholm said he is open to trying something new.
“For me, it’s going somewhere — especially as a winning team and they’re asking me to go somewhere to help them win, I’m definitely going to go out there and do it,” Chisholm told reporters. “I feel like I’m a really good infielder, so I just got to go over there and catch the ball.”