Yankees: 3 blockbuster trades that need to be made if DJ LeMahieu leaves

The Yankees cannot mess around if they lose DJ LeMahieu in free agency.

New York Yankees fans might not be happy about it, but the truth of the matter is that the organization may not want to fork over $100 million or more for DJ LeMahieu, who is reportedly seeking a five-year contract in free agency. And when a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers gets involved, the possibility of a departure grows exponentially.

The New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are in the mix, which just doesn’t help the Yankees whatsoever. Both of those teams are in a better position to spend, though we can venture LeMahieu would rather play for the Yankees.

But nothing is guaranteed and we can’t think like that. We understand the Yankees weren’t going to negotiate against themselves during the exclusive window they had with LeMahieu. That was the right thing to do. But we’re far removed from that and rumors involving other teams continue to heat up.

The upsetting part about all of this? The Yankees weren’t expecting LeMahieu to be their best player and upend their future plans when they signed him two years ago. And you can bet they didn’t want to shell out over $80 million for a player entering his age-32 season.

For those of you hopeful the Yankees have a grand plan in the event DJ leaves, we need one of these three scenarios to be considered if it happens.

3. Trade for Francisco Lindor

You’ve heard it a million times, but the Yankees trading for Francisco Lindor should be a top priority if DJ leaves.

We’ll keep this one short since it’s been discussed way too many times. Hell, we’re sick of talking about it! But if we’re being honest with ourselves, if LeMahieu leaves, the best option is to shift Gleyber Torres back to second base and explore the trade market for shortstops.

We don’t have time for a one-year stopgap option that won’t move the needle. Someone needs to come in an be able to produce somewhere near LeMahieu’s level. Andrelton Simmons won’t do that. Francisco Lindor will.

The good news? After seeing what the Chicago Cubs got in return for Yu Darvish, it appears as if Lindor’s price in a trade may not be as high as we all previously thought. The Padres gave up a bunch of mid-tier prospects for Darvish, and with Lindor carrying a near-$20 million salary for 2021 in addition to being in a contract year, it’d be a reach for the Indians to play hardball.

The Yankees should be able to capitalize and not give up any of their most coveted prospects. If that’s the case, Lindor must be in the Bronx if LeMahieu departs. No questions asked.

2. Trade for Trevor Story

Trevor Story would be a perfect fit for the Yankees.

And we have the same deal here! Story is in his final year of arbitration eligibility and will hit free agency after 2021. It’s hard to believe the Colorado Rockies are going to let him walk for nothing because it feels unlikely he’ll be offered a huge contract extension.

Plus, if they trade Nolan Arenado, who still has almost $200 million left on his contract, there’s no reason to keep Story, since so many other pieces are needed for this team to get back into contention with the Dodgers and Padres ruling the NL West at the moment.

If the Rockies were smart, they’d unload most of their valuable veteran talent in order to expedite their rebuild and get back into the playoff conversation in 2-3 years. Story should be the first to go because he’s their best asset. He’ll make $18.5 million in 2021, but he’ll be worth every penny. And if the Yankees can get him on the cheaper side, since Story’s situation is the exact same as Lindor’s, then you have to do it.

We’d all like to guarantee a contract extension for either one of those guys if they’re acquired in a trade, but that will increase the price of a deal. Additionally, the Yankees might want to try their luck when guys like Corey Seager, Carlos Correa and Javier Baez will also be free agents.

Nonetheless, Story would be a great offensive and defensive fit on the Yankees who could help replace the production lost in LeMahieu.