A panel of MLB.com reporters gathered to discuss. Seems to me the Yankees leaked LeMahieu's asking price to scare other teams away, and LeMahieu's camp responded by saying an AL East rival and fellow big-market team are interested to get the Yankees back to the table. That's understandable. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) Allen is the only player the Yankees have added to their 40-man roster from outside the organization this winter. The Yankees may not need Lemahieu (which still baffles me why he signed to be a super-utility), but you can’t argue he’s been below replacement level. (I don't think Blake Snell was ever a realistic option for the Yankees give the whole AL East rivalry with the Rays. Their depth chart: You're the Yankees and you fancy yourself a World Series contender. It now looks as if the slugger will be in a Yankee uniform again. Still, LeMahieu isn’t perfect, and there are some indications he may not be a good fit with the Mets. Watching DJ LeMahieu for a year-plus as a Yankee and seeing the consistent, hard contact and one unflappable at-bat after another, I simply … That's the big unknown.". Happ ’s departures further deplete New York’s pitching depth. To date, this has been an inactive offseason for the New York Yankees. Multiple industry sources confirmed Friday that the Yankees and DJ LeMahieu have agreed on a six-year, $90 … Patience has served them well in the past -- the Yankees did not sign LeMahieu the first time until Jan. 14, 2019, a few days after re-signing Zack Britton and a few days before signing Adam Ottavino -- and the slow-moving free agent means good players are still available. It certainly takes them out of the running for Trevor Bauer, the No. LeMahieu ended the season with a .364 batting average, which was the highest in the American League. Key contributors in DJ LeMahieu and Masahiro Tanaka enter the free agency market, while James Paxton ’s and J.A. DJ LeMahieu, a Yankee for life, or so it would seem, from his 6 year, $90M contract. It now looks as if the slugger will be in a Yankee uniform again. section: | slug: yankees-are-still-waiting-on-dj-lemahieu-heres-why-that-may-have-cost-them-already-this-offseason | sport: baseball | route: article_single.us | They're not a LeMahieu away from being World Series favorites. Yes, I think he is a top 2 2B in the sport and one of the best bats in all of baseball. The New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox were also mentioned as suitors. Today, it’s difficult to imagine the Yankees participating in … When DJ was 7, the LeMahieu family moved from California to Las Vegas. If they re-sign LeMahieu -- I think a reunion is by far the most likely outcome -- he'll eat up at least $20 million of that, maybe even as much as $25 million. 1 priority is re-signing DJ LeMahieu. Here's what he said during a YES Network interview on Dec. 10: "Like always, we'll come up with what the best options are, but we're gonna exhaust his option first, which is to try to keep him here," Cashman said. LeMahieu was activated from the injured list on August 29. And LeMahieu is reportedly unhappy with the Yankees’ inaction. MLB Rumors: The New York Yankees and free agent D.J. At some point the Yankees are either going to have to get LeMahieu signed or begin seriously exploring other options, and that point can't be too far away because the hot stove is heating up and spring training is drawing near. Yesterday I published a report that MLBExecutiveBurner tweeted on his account to expect Yankee news tomorrow. It still seems more likely than not that LeMahieu will be back with the Yankees, it seems to be what both sides want. On the 161st Street subway platform, and massed in and around Yankee Stadium for Games 3 … The bullpen is strong is the lineup is so good that they will cover for a lot of rotation shortcomings during the long 162-game regular season. All Rights Reserved. The thing is, it's now mid-January and spring training is only five weeks away, and the Yankees still have multiple needs to address. The inactive offseason is largely by design. DJ LeMahieu was re-introduced to the NY media on Thursday, and said that while he’s excited to be back and wanted to be all along, he was frustrated with how long it took to reach a deal. Away from Yankee Stadium, LeMahieu is a .309/.354/.439 with a 112 wRC+. No details of the agreement have been released, but EmpireSportsMedia.com will have them for you as soon as they are available. They can't wait forever though. We need him! I think DJ deserves a lot and I know he wants to be a Yankee,” Voit said. The New York Yankeeshave been in negotiations with batting champ DJ LeMahieu for over two months. I agree that CBS Sports can send me the "CBS Sports HQ Newsletter" newsletter. This must be that news only a day late. And hopefully, at the end of all this, DJ is a Yankee for a long time.” LeMahieu, 32, is reportedly asking for a five-year, $100 million deal. “But I’m sure there’s 4 or 5 other teams that would love to have him too.”. A year later, they packed up for Madison, Wis., where they stayed for five years until they moved to Bloomfield Hills, Mich., a suburb of Detroit. Jon Morosi of MLB.com and Fox Sports reports the Yankees and LeMahieu are now finalizing a deal to keep the star in pinstripes for years to come.  Yahoo Sports has also reported the deal is near complete. DJ LeMahieu’s rumored contract demands from the Yankees are higher than we’d heard. DJ LeMahieu is Not Worth More Than $20 Million A Year. 4:51 pm ET, Last month a report indicated LeMahieu is seeking five years and $125 million, The Yankees are about $35 million under the $210 million luxury tax threshold at the moment, the No. On the infield, the Yankees could pivot to Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons, Kolten Wong, or former Yankee Didi Gregorius should LeMahieu wind up elsewhere. DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees celebrates his fourth inning home run against the Toronto Blue Jays with teammate Luke Voit #59 at Yankee Stadium on September 17, 2020 in New York City. Things are starting to heat up though, and within the last three weeks or so the Yankees missed out on a Yu Darvish salary dump trade, and Carlos Carrasco and Francisco Lindor quasi-salary dump trade, and Tomoyuki Sugano's free agency. The Yankees should have been in on every single one of those players, and, to be fair, they reportedly inquired about Lindor. The Yankees are planning to cut payroll amid the pandemic -- team officials have not given a set 2021 payroll figure but the expectation is they will duck under the $210 million luxury tax threshold -- and their No. Latest on New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN Morosi, an on-air personality with MLB Network, also stated that the deal could be completed as early as today. That was the last update on contract talks. The Yankees need DJ LeMahieu back at nearly any price. Waiting out LeMahieu and his $20-something-million a year contract presumably took the Yankees out of the mix for Darvish all together, meaning they didn't even consider pursuing a trade (Darvish is owed $59 million the next three years). DJ LeMahieu’s new deal gives the Yankees a huge break . … For a big-market contender, the Yankees have a lot of needs this offseason, particularly in the rotation. The two sides use the media and other teams as leverage. In a short postseason series though, that rotation leaves an awful lot to be desired. Clearly, LeMahieu is the top priority. There's a lot of things in our favor, but it ultimately comes down to the financial opportunity we provide compared to the financial opportunity others are providing. Recently LeMahieu became frustrated with the New York Yankee’s slowness to come to terms and asked his agent, the Wasserman group, to reengage with other teams that were interested in him. LeMahieu, 32, has become an indispensable Yankee, and the team’s offseason plans center on him. DJ is everything Yankee fans want in a player: durable, clutch, smart, and tough. The Yankees have missed out on several players because of their commitment to LeMahieu though -- Lindor is extremely likely to be the best non-LeMahieu infielder available to the Yankees at any point this offseason, and Carrasco, Darvish, and Lynn (and Snell) figure to be the best starters traded -- and the longer they wait for LeMahieu, the more they risk losing out on other quality players who would improve their roster and thus their chances of winning the 2021 World Series. LeMahieu, meanwhile, maybe be searching around for a better offer, or at least an offer he can take back to the Yankees and get them to up the ante. LeMahieu have agreed to a deal that will have the second baseman back with the Yankees for … His xwOBA on all balls … Luis Severino is expected back from Tommy John surgery at midseason, though you never quite know what you're going to get so soon after elbow reconstruction, and New York needs rotation help behind him. The Yankees defeated the Blue Jays 10-7. Yankee fans, prepare for life without DJ. The Yankees surprised many when, facing a surplus of infielders before the 2019 season, they signed LeMahieu as a free agent to a two-year, $24 million contract, which seems like a bargain in hindsight. Joe Musgrove stands out as a trade candidate. DJ LeMahieu looks a lot like another Yankee infielder. He rejected the Yankees’ qualifying offer (one year, $18.9 million) and is looking for a deal approaching nine figures. Last month a report indicated LeMahieu is seeking five years and $125 million. The Yankees didn't spend much time exploring Lindor as an alternative to LeMahieu. LeMahieu is the epitome of Yankee greatness, a player focused on performing at the top of his game every time out and focused on winning. 1 pitcher on the free agent market, LeBron will have say in Red Sox, Liverpool decisions, Nine most surprising players on Opening Day rosters, Tim Melville throws 143-pitch no-hitter in Taiwan, Opening Day Overreactions: Yankees bats are overrated, Astros booed loudly in first road game with fans, RHP Luis Severino (expected back at midseason), RHP Jhoulys Chacin (6.06 ERA the last two years). Stay with EmpireSportsMedia.com for all the latest development with this story and other New York Yankee news. The Yankees originally wanted a three year deal in the neighborhood of $75. A recent report suggested the veteran infielder may be ready to look elsewhere. Yankees are still waiting on DJ LeMahieu; here's why that may have cost them already this offseason Several players who fit what the Yankees need have come off the board in recent weeks You can do better than that. This is how these things work. It will be interesting to see what the deal entails. — Andy Martino (@martinonyc) November 19, 2020 As Martino writes (while noting, of course, that LeMahieu is being nipped at by plenty of teams that aren’t the … The LeMahieu … A few days later Cashman held a conference call with reporters, including James Wagner of the New York Times, and said "anything that's come off the board before today came off the board because I'm willing to wait to hopefully find a way to navigate a negotiation successfully with DJ LeMahieu." LeMahieu is a great player and fits their needs perfectly. According to what you want to believe, the two sides were either $25 or $50 million apart in the negotiations. The market has several appealing options behind LeMahieu and the pricey Bauer. The Yankees haven't missed out on that much. That doesn't leave much for pitching, be it a reunion with Masahiro Tanaka or something else. Over the past two years, he has hit .366/.421/.642 with a 183 wRC+. The commitment to LeMahieu means the Yankees couldn't even consider Darvish or Sugano, financially. The offseason has moved so slowly in general that waiting out LeMahieu made sense. I’m literally sitting next to a printer right now and it makes me think of DJ because he’s a freaking machine. at #Yankees inquired with the #Indians on the price for Lindor as a backup plan if they did not sign LeMahieu, but have remained committed to seeing it thru with LeMahieu even as other options — such as Lindor — come off the board. DJ LeMahieu is congratulated by Yankees manager Aaron Boone after hitting a walkoff home run in the bottom of the 11th inning against Oakland at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 31, 2019. First and foremost, he is a Yankee Stadium monster. By Bradford William Davis. Earlier this offseason, most industry insiders assumed DJ LeMahieu and the Yankees would remain together, even as LeMahieu tested the free-agent waters. LeMahieu is one of the top players available on the open market. He loves playing for the New York Yankees. The Yankees are about $35 million under the $210 million luxury tax threshold at the moment. 2 starter is Jordan Montgomery. Soon thereafter it was reported the Blue Jays and the Dodgers have interest in him. The New York Yankees and DJ LeMahieu still haven’t agreed to a new deal. It goes without saying at this point that all of the Yankees’ offseason efforts at the moment involve re-signing DJ LeMahieu. New York Daily News | Jan 15, 2021 at 4:27 PM . DJ LeMahieu, like a … LeMahieu enrolled at Brother Rice High School, a private all-boys Catholic school with a nationally renowned baseball program. Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe. Ken Davidoff of the New York Post says today: LeMahieu distinguished himself with his offensive consistency, defensive versatility and low-key personality, and he put up the best two seasons of his 10-year career. Many fans and probably the New York Yankee front office thought it would be difficult for LeMahieu to repeat his stellar 2019 season, but he did and did it with even better results. In the past several days and weeks, even fellow Yankee players have been making statements that the Yankees need LeMahieu back with the team. On multiple occasions last month GM Brian Cashman admitted the Yankees are waiting on LeMahieu's decision before moving on to other offseason business. Charlie Morton probably wasn't an option either given his stated desire to play close to the family home in Florida.). The market is heating up and their needs are numerous. Chances are the same is true with Sugano, who reportedly wanted Yusei Kikuchi money (four years at $14 million per year) and returned to Japan. Reportedly the Toronto Blue Jays were hot after him, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers. That's four quality starting pitchers, all of whom would've ranked as New York's best behind Cole, as well as a superstar middle infielder who would have more than adequately replaced LeMahieu. All offseason, the Yankees really wanted DJ LeMahieu. He was the fourth Yankee to lead the majors in hitting, the ninth Yankee to win an AL batting title, … Elsa / Getty Images. No, let me rephrase: you have to do better than that. They shouldn't let one player dominate their offseason much longer. MLBExecutiveBurner @HotStoveintel is a front office MLB executive, so he must have some knowledge of pending signings or moves the Yankees may be making today. They added depth outfielder Greg Allen in a minor trade with the Padres last week and that's about it. All the talk about DJ LeMahieu, the New York Yankees free agent, and if he will remain in the New York Yankees pinstripes, dominates the offseason hot stove. The Yankees’ offseason has finally begun. Blue Jays The Yankees don't need to make any additions, they just need to retain LeMahieu and get healthy. Even though DJ LeMahieu helped revive the Yankees many times over last season, he's yet to have the conversation with the team about returning in 2021 or beyond. DJ LeMahieu was once again Le Machine in the New York Yankees organization, putting up numbers offensively that outpaced even their highest expectations. The Yankees' signing of DJ LeMahieu two winters ago prompted flurries of questions about where the veteran would fit on the roster, showing up that spring without a set position in the infield. He is one of the best players on this Yankee team, but that doesn’t mean with a limited budget we should pay him 25 million a year for 4 years. Minor-league signings like Jhoulys Chacin and Andrew Velazquez are their only other moves. My hunch is the Yankees have the largest offer on the table and they know it, and they're waiting for LeMahieu to say yes. They have one viable major-league middle infielder (Gleyber Torres) and their No. Just two days ago, Luke Voit joined in on the chorus: “We need him, I think he’s the best hitter in baseball. And for a good reason, he is one of the best players in baseball. 6-keys: media/spln/mlb/reg/free/stories. Of LeMahieu’s 36 home runs between 2019 and 2020, 16 of them were hit to the opposite field at Yankee Stadium. 1 pitcher on the free agent market. © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. For now, the Yankees are content to wait out LeMahieu, even if means missing out on other opportunities. They're just committed to seeing things through with LeMahieu, so talks never got serious. The New York Yankees have been in negotiations with batting champ DJ LeMahieu for over two months. Everything else happened more recently. His personal success, accolades, and awards only serve to solidify how important his contributions are to the winning culture of the Yankees. "He loves playing in New York. Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. Why bid against yourself? Here is his story and how he became a Yankee … There was no need to rush into anything. According to all reports, LeMahieu has been holding out for a five-year deal to take him to age 37. After unsurprisingly turning down the team’s qualifying offer, DJ LeMahieu is officially on the open market as a free agent. Jon Morosi of MLB.com and Fox Sports reports the Yankees and LeMahieu are now finalizing a … The 32-year old second baseman slashed .364/.421/.590 with 10 home runs and a 177 wRC+ in 2020, winning a Silver Slugger Award and the best batting average title, besting his 2019 and showing the Yankees that he still has a lot in the tank. 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