In a previous article, I summarized the Yankees’ off-season thus far. After a hasty exit from the World Series, the top brass of Bronx Bombers has responded vociferously.
While longtime general manager Brian Cashman has already facilitated a fine string of free agent signings and trade acquisitions, his team is not complete just yet. There is currently a gaping hole at third base – a position that has been an Achilles heel for them since 2021.
Here are a few trades the Yankees can make in order to fill out the roster and gear up for another hopeful World Series sprint.
The good news is that there are a plethora of solutions to the third base problem. Cashman does have a few ways of handling this internally – more on that later – but external answers to this test for the Yankees are more effective.
Jazz Chisholm was serviceable at the hot corner last year, but the team prefers that he goes back to second base – his natural position, where he is a plus fielder.
One quick fix at third base is Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo. A switch-hitter who will be a free agent in 2026, the affectionately-nicknamed “Fifo” has played every position outside of catcher and first base. The Yankees crave that kind of versatility, and this man certainly fits that bill.
Having 850 career innings at third under his belt, the Naguanagua, Venezuela native owns a 114 OPS+ in 204 games since 2023. Rengifo is also heavily contact-oriented, and is a capable base runner. The soon-to-be 28-year-old underwent season-ending wrist surgery back in August last year, but he is expected to be ready for spring training.
It is true that Rengifo would only be a rental, but he would not cost much, and his current team has a weak farm system. This could be a nice match for the Yankees.
DJ LeMahieu, Mike Tauchman, Adam Ottavino, Troy Toluwitzki, and Matt Holliday have all had their surnames stitched onto the back of a Rockies and Yankees jersey in recent years. Some have even facetiously referred to Yankee Stadium’s tenants as the “New York Rockies”, which is fitting.
Another player who could continue this trend is Ryan McMahon. McMahon, who earned his first All-Star selection last year, has had one of the game’s flashiest gloves at the hot corner for several years now.
In addition to his defensive prowess, McMahon has excellent durability. The Mater Dei High School product has played in at least 151 games in every season since 2021. He is also another left-handed bat who could complement Cody Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez, Austin Wells, and Jazz Chisholm.
McMahon’s offensive numbers are somewhat discouraging, though. He owns a career slash line of .243/.324/.422, and has not had a standout year at the plate despite playing at Coors Field. McMahon would also come at a steep cost, as he is under contract until 2028. He remains an intriguing pivot, though.
There had been reports of the Yankees inquiring about Gavin Lux of the Dodgers. If Brian Cashman had ventured down this avenue, then Jazz Chisholm would likely remain entrenched third base. Lux has a grand total of six innings at third base, and would remain incumbent at second.
On January 6th, Lux was traded to the Reds. In exchange for him, the Dodgers sent a Competitive Balance Round A pick and outfield prospect Mike Sirota, their 14-ranked player in their farm system.
As aforementioned, though, the preference for Lux’s Fall Classic opponents is for Chisholm to stay at second. Lux’s career slugging percentage of .383 is a red flag, though.
The fact that he is under team control until 2027 is appealing to some ball clubs. Lux is also an above-average defender, but his lack of offensive output may have turned the Yankees away.
Nolan Arenado is not the subject of this section. Jack Curry of the YES Network has repudiated any conjecture about Arenado following his teammate to The Bronx.
In this case, the player in question is Brendan Donovan. A Gold Glove winner in 2022, Donovan is another prominent Mr. Versatility who makes the Yankees salivate.
Although the former seventh round pick is primarily a left fielder, he can play any position on the diamond. Donovan is a lefty bat who has been among the game’s most productive hitters at his primary position since his rookie year.
A jack-of-all-trades player with a career on-base percentage of .364 who is also a plus defender is an incredibly attractive piece for the Yankees. Much like other Major Leaguers in this article, though, a trade for Brendan Donovan would mean a hefty asking price from the Cardinals. Donovan is not eligible for free agency until 2028, and he is eligible for arbitration this year.
Just over one year ago, Juan Soto was traded for the second time in a year-and-a-half. The rest, as the say, is history.
Once again, ruminations of another bargain between the AL pennant winners and “Slam Diego” are abound. This time, three-time defending batting champion Luis Arraez is the player in question.
The addition of such a player to the Yankees’ roster would solidify the top of the order, as Arraez would almost certainly be their leadoff hitter. Arraez is a career .323 batter who led the majors in hits last year, and he boasts a career .372 on-base percentage. His career OPS+ of 118 is a respectable mark, as well.
Arraez profiles as an excellent soft contact-oriented lefty who barely strikes out, has good eye discipline, and is a free agent next year. For all of his triumphs in the batter’s box, though, Arraez’s work with his glove raises eyebrows.
While capable of manning any infield position and the outfield, the aptly-nicknamed “La Regadera” – Spanish for “The Sprinkler” – Arraez grades out as a below-average fielder at every position he’s played. It is no secret that the Yankees have prioritized upgrading their much-maligned fielding, and Arraez hardly profiles as an elite defender.
That being said, some feel that bringing him over to 1 E 161st Street is well worth the price. Having a guy with a trifecta of batting titles in the lineup cannot be overlooked – especially if said ballplayer has gotten on base nearly 40 percent of the time across nearly 700 career games.
Said internal options, however, are underwhelming.
DJ LeMahieu has not had a great season ever since he won a batting title of his own in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Since then, he’s had one season with an OPS+ over 100, and that was back in 2022.
In 2024, LeMahieu had a negative WAR, meaning that he was less valuable than a replacement-level player.
Oswaldo Cabrera, while only having 751 career at-bats to his name, does not profile as an everyday player. He is indeed a versatile player, but a full-season role would not be appropriate for him. The same goes for Oswald Peraza.
Bottom line, the Yankees cannot claim to be fully all-in if they decide to go with one of those three players at third base on a full-time basis. It would not work. This is the end of my Yankees rant.
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