The New York Yankees have one obvious lineup flaw. And they’re telling the world they plan to address it.
After designating veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu for assignment on Wednesday, the Yankees once again have a hole at third base. The good news is that Jazz Chisholm Jr., who moved back to his natural position at second with LeMahieu gone, is going gangbusters.
New York’s infield would hit another level if they could land a third baseman at the trade deadline with any kind of impact bat. Sadly, those third basemen don’t grow on trees these days.
Still, ESPN’s Jeff Passan is urging the Yankees to shoot for the moon.
On Thursday, Passan named the best possible trade targets for each contender, and his choice for the Yankees was a somewhat obvious one: Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
“The Yankees are not going to stop at one player this deadline. For all their strengths — and there are plenty — they have too many weaknesses to take half-measures,” Passan wrote.
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“Suárez is an excellent first step. His power is undeniable, a perfect fit in the middle of any lineup. He plays third base, a black hole for New York this season. The Yankees could two-birds-one-stone a deal and get Zac Gallen or Merrill Kelly from Arizona, too.”
Suárez, 33, leads all third basemen this season with 29 home runs and an OPS of .883. It’s a heck of a walk-year for the now-two-time All-Star, and it could secure him a trade to a contender if Arizona waves the white flag.
As Passan later pointed out, Suárez is the only third baseman who could even possibly be available that will hit free agency after the season. He’s making $15 million, the remainder of which would be a drop in the bucket for New York.
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