The New York Yankees are hoping someone will emerge as a surprise breakout in their competition at third base this spring.
However, that may involve more wishful thinking than objective evaluation. The trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza leaves much to be desired, which is why it would be wise for New York to keep its eye on the free-agent market.
While taking a look at the logical landing spots for free agent infielder Jose Iglesias, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors had the Yankees at the top of the list.
The Yankees have spent the entire offseason being tied to infield upgrades and still haven’t addressed the issue. Jazz Chisholm Jr. will play second base or third base. Other options for the infield right now include declining veteran DJ LeMahieu, former top prospect Oswald Peraza and utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera. Jorbit Vivas and Braden Shewmake are depth options likely ticketed for Triple-A. Iglesias won’t add any power, but he’s a plus glove at either second or third — not a bad thing for a club with a grounder-heavy bullpen that just spent $218MM on one of the game’s top ground-ball starters.
Coming off a sensational season with the New York Mets, Iglesias posted a .337 average with four home runs, 26 RBI and a 137 OPS+ (37 percent better than league average). On top of that, Iglesias posted a solid Outs Above Average (OAA) mark at third base in 2024, per Baseball Savant.
Spotrac currently projects Iglesias to land a one-year deal worth $1.7 million, which would work with the Yankees’ desires to keep the budget from getting to far beyond the $301 million luxury tax threshold.
The Yankees seem content in keeping the third base competition where it’s at, but it is clearly the one position that could be a major hindrance in the team’s ability to repeat as pennant winners.
Iglesias wouldn’t immediately solve all of their issues, but he would be an intriguing fit to work at multiple positions while coming relatively cheap on the market.
More New York Yankees News
Yankees lose top pitching prospect to devastating injury
Stephen A. Smith goes on viral rant for Yankees facial hair presser
Former Yankees star facing retirement decision amid weak free agency market
