NEW YORK — The New York Yankees have remained steadfast in their belief that third baseman DJ LeMahieu will reverse his season’s fortunes. But how much longer can they sustain optimism before confronting the reality of the situation?
Among all players with at least 130 plate appearances this season, LeMahieu ranks sixth-worst in OPS. Of the five players with poorer performances than LeMahieu, two have been designated for assignment and one has been benched. With no superior alternatives available internally, the Yankees have no choice but to continue playing LeMahieu. Oswaldo Cabrera started the season hot but has since cooled off significantly, registering an 80 wRC+ and a minus-3 outs above average at third base. J.D. Davis, acquired via waivers, has seen limited action and the Yankees view him primarily as a first baseman.
Advertisem*nt
Jon Berti, acquired in a trade just before Opening Day, has appeared in only 17 games this season and remains out with a calf injury. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Friday that Berti “had a little bit of a setback” recently, which requires a PRP injection. The hope is Berti will ramp up his running drills next week, but Boone said his return to game action is “not imminent.” With only 60 plate appearances this season and two-plus months sidelined, Berti will likely require an extensive rehab assignment upon his return, making it risky to rely on him for significant production.
New York Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino jabbed his former team Friday by saying the Yankees only have two good hitters in their lineup. The Yankees could certainly use another bat at the trade deadline, and third base is an obvious place to upgrade.
"I think we're at the top of the league probably in runs scored, so…"
– Aaron Boone on Luis Severino's comments on the Yankees' offense pic.twitter.com/02WOm6YwJZ
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 20, 2024
The Yankees designated Josh Donaldson for assignment last season after he posted a .659 OPS and 75 wRC+. LeMahieu sits at a .482 OPS and 47 wRC+. He’s under contract for two more years, but the Yankees need to at least bring in another option to supplant him in the lineup.
Here are four third-base candidates for the Yankees to consider before the trade deadline:
Isaac Paredes, Tampa Bay Rays
The Yankees could engage in one-stop shopping with the Rays if they desired. The Rays possess two relievers who might interest the Yankees: Garrett Cleavinger and Pete Fairbanks. Additionally, they have starting pitcher Zach Eflin, under contract for $18 million in 2025 before becoming a free agent in 2026. But it’s Paredes who stands out as one of their best trade assets.
Advertisem*nt
Paredes has three more years of team control, so acquiring him would be costly. The Rays would likely seek multiple top Yankees prospects in exchange for Paredes, who could immediately become one of New York’s best hitters and potentially bat in the middle of their lineup. Paredes has one of the most fun spray charts you will see across baseball; all 68 of his career home runs have been pulled. His power could be even more potent in New York. According to Statcast, Yankee Stadium is the fourth-easiest ballpark for right-handed hitters to hit home runs, whereas Tropicana Field ranks 15th.
Isaac Paredes goes yard for his 14th home run of the year. 💥 pic.twitter.com/Zqtt8eYzQE
— MLB (@MLB) July 4, 2024
Despite Paredes’ poor advanced metrics, his propensity to pull the ball in the air mitigates their significance, thanks to his optimized swing. One advantage LeMahieu holds over Paredes is his defensive value; the Rays’ third baseman is slightly above average with the glove.
The Yankees must weigh whether Paredes warrants the prospect capital he would cost if the Rays decide to trade him. He’s the type of hitter who could significantly boost a Yankees lineup in need of assistance.
Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants
The Athletic’s Giants writer Andrew Baggarly wrote last week that San Francisco is too pot-committed to become sellers at the trade deadline. The Giants are over the first luxury tax payroll threshold, and they surrendered multiple draft picks for signing Chapman and Blake Snell, two players who had qualifying offers attached to them. Their main executive, Farhan Zaidi, is also under intense pressure.
All of this suggests the Giants could become buyers at the deadline, but they sit eighth in the National League wild-card standings. The smartest path would be to recoup assets for a team going nowhere. If they were to sell, there would be considerable interest in Chapman, who is likely to opt out of his contract at the end of the season and become a free agent once again.
Advertisem*nt
Chapman is a Statcast darling. He hits the ball extremely hard and has one of the fastest swing speeds in baseball. His stats could improve if he pulled the ball more often; his pull percentage is the lowest it’s been since his rookie season in 2017. His fly-ball percentage is also the lowest since 2018. Given how hard Chapman swings, hitting the ball in the air to the pull side could maximize his performance. Since entering the league, Chapman has been one of the best defensive third basem*n in the sport. Though he’s having a down year defensively, there’s no reason to think he’d be a liability on that side of the ball.
Because he’s likely to become a free agent this offseason, the cost would not be nearly as high as it would be for Paredes, making Chapman a no-brainer target for the Yankees to consider if the Giants decided to sell.
Luis Rengifo, Los Angeles Angels
Rengifo has been on the injured list since July 5 due to wrist inflammation. On Friday, he began fielding groundballs and hitting off a tee for the first time since his injury. If the Yankees were to trade for him, they would need to proceed with caution, considering how close this injury occurred to the deadline.
The glaring concern with Rengifo is that he’s a major candidate for regression. His BABIP is .349, and it’s not elevated solely due to his ability to hit the ball hard. He has been one of the luckiest hitters in baseball this season, ranking sixth in the difference between his wOBA and xwOBA. He also doesn’t walk much, so if his expected stats were to materialize, he wouldn’t have that to fall back on. Additionally, he’s one of the poorest defenders at third base, which typically does not fit the Yankees’ profile.
Halo homer #⃣3⃣ tonight!#RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/0XzfqQ0gc0
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) June 28, 2024
Nevertheless, he has been an above-average bat for three consecutive seasons, and options are limited on the market. He could make sense for the Yankees simply because he’s better than LeMahieu. However, the cost of acquiring him would be crucial. Ideally, acquiring him in a deal alongside Angels closer Carlos Estévez, one of the better relievers on the market, would be beneficial.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Toronto Blue Jays
How about a reunion with an old friend? Did you know that Kiner-Falefa would be the fourth-best hitter on the Yankees this season among all players with at least 100 plate appearances?
Kiner-Falefa has split his time between third and second base, with some shortstop sprinkled in. The biggest difference for Kiner-Falefa, who’s having the best offensive season of his career, has been hitting the ball in the air more than ever.
Advertisem*nt
The Blue Jays are in sell mode. Cashing in on Kiner-Falefa’s best season would be the smartest move they could make. Kiner-Falefa was widely respected in the clubhouse during his two seasons with New York, and he enjoyed playing for the Yankees. Out of all the options who could be available and obtainable for a reasonable price, Kiner-Falefa may make the most sense.
(Photo of Isaac Paredes: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
Chris Kirschner is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the New York Yankees. He previously covered the Atlanta Hawks from 2018-2022 for The Athletic. Chris was named Georgia's Sportswriter of the Year in 2021 for his work covering the Hawks. Chris is a native of Bronx, NY. Follow Chris on Twitter @chriskirschner
