The New York Yankees have made a lot of key moves so far this offseason, filling holes at first base, in the outfield, and in the bullpen. However, a few spots remain unfilled, including one in the infield.

Jazz Chisholm Jr currently occupies third base, but that may not be the case for long. The newly-acquired Yankee is by nature a second baseman or outfielder, so he may not be the most ideal long-term solution for the hot corner. So, where does that leave the Yankees at third, considering their lack of interest surrounding any of the remaining third basemen on the market?

The Fall of “LeMachine”

One of the first options that come to mind is DJ LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion, three-time All-Star and a four-time Gold Glove winner. Unfortunately, LeMahieu seems to be long past playing at an All-Star level, coming off a career-worst season in 2024. Not only was it an abysmal season for the utility infielder, but it was also a flat-out horrible one: according to FanGraphs, his WRC+ of 52 was the 12th worst in all of baseball (min. 200 PA), meaning that his offensive numbers were amongst the worst in the entire league.

It’s pitiful watching a once-great hitter fall into mediocrity, and the reality is that LeMahieu isn’t too likely to improve next season. Even if he does, he still has two more years left on his contract, and he’s getting paid $30 million across those two years. Not even an improved LeMahieu is worth that deal, but unless the Yankees bite the bullet (which they probably won’t until at least next year), he will likely be seeing time on the field next season regardless.

Second and Third Base

The Yankees have a choice as to where they want the hole in their infield to be it’s wherever Jazz Chisholm isn’t. In other words, it will be at second or third base, depending on where they decide to play Chisholm. With Gleyber Torres gone, they very well may move him to second, despite there having been no indication of that being the plan thus far.

As a result, it’s looking like second base is the position up for grabs. While LeMahieu comes to mind as an option, the Yankees could go several routes. Oswald Peraza will more than likely get a crack at the roster this Spring Training, and if he impresses, he could take on duties at second. There is also the ever-reliable Oswaldo Cabrera, who is a solid bench player but only a short-term solution. Another name is Jorbit Vivas, who was called up for a short while last season but never saw much action. Unless one of these guys has a magnificent Spring Training, or if the Yankees make another move for an infielder, the truth is that LeMahieu is probably going to start at second next season.

The Last Word

The Yankees aren’t in a bad spot with LeMahieu at second (or third if that’s the case), mostly because he can still play viable defense. But as we saw with last year’s lineup, even one bad bat can make a whole lot of difference in scoring runs, and not in a good way. The hope is that LeMahieu can at the very least put up better numbers than last season, especially because he will be fully healthy heading into the season. But regardless, if they can fill that gap in the infield, this 2025 Yankee lineup is going to be scary for opposing pitchers.

Main Photo Credits: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images