After DJ LeMahieu turned down the Yankees’ qualifying offer last week, it put Bombers fans on pins and needles. Hands down the Yankees’ most valuable player over the last two years, LeMahieu said he enjoys New York and playing in pinstripes, but as one of the few free agents who could command a big contract despite the coronavirus pandemic financial issues this winter, LeMahieu will have options.
But, it’s not just Yankees fans waiting anxiously to find out if LeMahieu will be back. It’s his teammates too.
For the Yankees, who are signaling that they will be on a tight budget this winter, re-signing LeMahieu means possibly having to look to save elsewhere and perhaps reshuffling their infield.
That has players like Luke Voit and Gio Urshela, both fan favorites who had their careers resurrected by the Yankees, in the middle of hot stove trade speculation.
Monday night, Voit, who led the majors in home runs with 22 this season, said it was something he was trying to tune out.
“Obviously, I want to be a Yankee,” Voit said Monday night in an interview with YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits. “Everyone has their names thrown around, but you don’t know if it happens.”
Until LeMahieu is decided, no one really knows what will happen with the Yankees this winter.
If he re-signs and it happens quickly, the Yankees could work on trades involving Voit and Urshela. Voit, who will be 30 in February, not only hit 22 homers this season, but drove in 52 runs in 56 games while playing with plantar fasciitis. Urshela went from an inconsistent hitter to slashing .310/.358/.523 with 27 home runs and 45 doubles in 175 games over two years with the Yankees.
Both were low buys for the Yankees which they could flip and sell high. The Bombers are interested in exploring options for a long-term shortstop to compensate for Gleyber Torres’ soft defense or a catcher to replace Gary Sanchez. That would make room for LeMahieu to play at either corner and allow Torres to move back to second base.
Obviously the Yankees could engage Cleveland in discussions for Francisco Lindor, who is eligible for free agency after the 2021 season, and try to extend him to be their shortstop of the future. Though Cleveland not only has Jose Ramirez at third, but had Urshela before trading him to the Blue Jays.
They could also sign a veteran defensive shortstop as a placeholder until next year’s outstanding potential free agent class of shortstops, which includes Javier Baez, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa and Corey Seager.
That’s just one possibility.
Should LeMahieu sign elsewhere, the Yankees would be left with a draft pick and some money would be freed up and could be invested in other areas.
The Yankees could look to use the money they were going to give him to solidify their starting pitching or address their overly right-handed lineup.
But, Voit likes the team the Yankees had in 2020 just fine.
That was a lineup that Voit helped carry with LeMahieu. After losing to the Rays in Game 5 of the American League Division Series, Voit, looking miserable, talked about returning to the Yankees and worrying about the window closing on the Bombers’ opportunity — and his — to win a World Series.
He vowed to get better than his .277/.330/.610 slash line in 2020.
“I want to get better and better every year. And (pitchers) are still going to keep trying to figure out how to get me out,” Voit said. “I’ve got to make adjustments every year.’”
And while his family and friends pay attention to every rumor that surfaces with his name in it, Voit sees himself as a Yankee in 2021.
And he sees LeMahieu as one too.
“I think he’s going to have a bunch of big-time offers,” Voit said, “but I know he wants to win, I know he loves the guys in the clubhouse, he loves the coaching staff and he wants to play in New York,” Voit said. “My gut says he’s going to be a Yankee.”
But for now, the Yankees, their fans and even Voit wait to find out who will be back in 2021.