3 reasons DJ LeMahieu needs to be Yankees’ No. 1 priority

The New York Yankees have a lot to think about this offseason in terms of their roster, but re-signing D.J. LeMahieu is a no-brainer.

Since arriving in the Bronx, infielder DJ LeMahieu has been nothing short of magnificent for the New York Yankees, producing at both the plate and on defense. The two-year deal he signed with the team has turned into quite the steal, and general manager Brian Cashman should do everything he can to make sure DJLM doesn’t leave.

Looking back at his first two seasons with the Yankees, it is clear that LeMahieu vastly out-played the $24 million he was given. In 2020, he followed up a monster 2019 campaign by leading the league in batting average during the COVID-19 shortened season, and took his bat to the playoffs, showing he can perform under the biggest and brightest lights.

In 2019, LeMahieu finished fourth in MVP voting, and he should once again be the mix for the award this season. The Yankees have already given him a qualifying offer, which he will certainly reject, but if Brian Cashman wants to continue to move this franchise in the right direction, LeMahieu has to be a part of the long-term plan.

Here are three reasons the Yankees need to make LeMahieu their No. 1 priority in free agency this offseason.

3. Versatility

DJ LeMahieu’s defensive versatility cannot be understated.

When it comes to LeMahieu, a lot is talked about his bat, and it’s easy to understand why. He’s been arguably the best hitter in baseball over the past two years. However, while he is certainly a wizard once he steps in to the batter’s box, he is also an astute defender and can play first, second and third base.

With the Yankees, he has shown that he can play all over the diamond, and that’s something that should make him a priority for Brian Cashman this offseason. There are a lot of question marks in terms of this roster, including what to do with Gleyber Torres, who has struggled mightily at shortstop since taking over.

Bringing LeMahieu back to possibly play first base would enable the Yankees to go after a more sure-handed option at shortstop, and maybe bring back a familiar face in Didi Gregorius, who was not given a qualifying offer by the Philadelphia Phillies. That would move Torres back to second and likely force the Yankees to trade Luke Voit.

We know that’s an unlikely option, but it’s a good secondary one to consider when bringing back DJ. At the very least, he’ll be able to fill in elsewhere across the infield when there are inevitably injuries. But we can expect him to be the full-time second baseman unless Cashman is ready to make big changes.

2. LeMahieu is still in his prime

This is DJ LeMahieu’s prime. Use it all up, Yankees.

The Yankees brought LeMahieu to town as a 30-year-old from the Colorado Rockies, a franchise known for bloated offensive statistics. While the hope was LeMahieu could hit outside of Colorado, nobody could have expected what he has brought to the Yankees lineup.

There’s still a lot of pop left in LeMahieu’s bat even at 32 years old, and he has the kind of presence and approach at the plate that will enable him to be a consistent hitter well into his 30s. The Yankees have a lot of guys in the lineup who are feast or famine, but LeMahieu is a machine and can do it all. He can get a leadoff hit, he puts the ball in play when runners are on, he beats the shift, he can go yard, whatever you want.

Additionally, LeMahieu as we mentioned previously about his defensive versatility, the Yankees will have the option of shifting him over to first base if his fielding starts to regress with age (assuming he’s signed to a four- or five-year deal). But LeMahieu was a late-bloomer, so this seems to be the wheelhouse of his prime playing days.

He probably has two more at this peak level and will still be productive beyond that. This is what you want to pay for if you’re a front office, and given his age, LeMahieu won’t command anything that’s prohibitive in terms of contract length.

The Yankees will be getting top value here, so it’s worth it to pay up.