Yankees running out of time after DJ LeMahieu rejects qualifying offer

DJ LeMahieu was never going to accept the qualifying offer from the Yankees.

The New York Yankees presenting DJ LeMahieu with the qualifying offer was a mere formality. It bought them 10 days worth of time to avoid him exploring the open market and it attached draft pick compensation to the two-time Silver Slugger. But time’s up.

We’ve heard nothing but silence out of the Bronx in terms of free agency and trades. The World Series ended on Oct. 27. It’s now Nov. 11. LeMahieu officially rejecting the QO means the clock is ticking, and general manager Brian Cashman needs to get a deal done before other teams come knocking at DJ’s door.

The whole point was to avoid that potentially happening, as the QO gave them some breathing room to figure things out and properly strategize. We know this offseason is going to move incredibly slowly, but the front office can’t take any chances with LeMahieu.

Luckily, it seems like the Mets, who are expected to be the only team that will be spending carelessly this offseason, are focused on George Springer, Trevor Bauer and JT Realmuto in their free agent endeavors, so the Yankees, at this juncture, will likely avoid a potential bidding war with the team best armed to get into one.

However, that doesn’t change the fact LeMahieu will be in high demand. Plenty of teams, especially ones on the cusp of playoff/World Series contention, could use him, and the fact that he’ll only be commanding a three-to-five-year deal actually makes it easier for a lot of general managers out there to pull the trigger because we’re not talking a 10-12-year extension in the Mookie Betts or Bryce Harper range.

LeMahieu won’t be cheap, but he surely won’t weigh you down financially. You’ll be getting prime production, and by the time his deal ends, he’ll be on the downswing of his career and you will have gotten more of his prime years.

The Yankees aren’t at threat level midnight to get a deal done with LeMahieu, but time is of the essence here and continued silence on this front will be a bad sign, because all that’s doing is opening the door for another team to swoop in and make an offer he can’t refuse.

It doesn’t help that the Yankees have other pressing needs, too. But Cashman and Co. need to have their priorities in order for the most unpredictable offseason in the sport’s history.

Every Yankees fan is furious at insane New York Post DJ LeMahieu column

The New York Yankees need to re-sign DJ LeMahieu, but the New York Post got us good with a clickbait article about the Mets and Red Sox.