5 forgotten free agents Yankees should chase (and 1 total wild card)

Jeimer Candelario, 3B

There was a world where the Yankees acquired switch-hitting third baseman Jeimer Candelario at the 2023 trade deadline and, honestly, it's a pretty good world to live in, mentally.

Unfortunately, on Actual Earth, Candelario's second half included a flameout in Chicago rather than the theoretical success we forecast. He hit .234 with a .764 OPS, barely notching an above-average tenure (103 OPS+) after racing out to a 125 OPS+ with the Nationals. He also came up lame with a lower back strain in mid-September, awful timing as the previously surging Cubbies lost their grip on a Wild Card spot and fell out of the race at the horn (Candelario eventually returned and didn't make the difference).

Now a 29-year-old free agent who played 2023 on a one-year, $5 million salary, Candelario probably won't require much of a commitment this offseason, and can float across the infield, logging time at both third and first last season.

Candelario would be a perfect addition if the Yankees could still find a way to get out of DJ LeMahieu's contract, but regardless, he would provide switch-hitting depth at a position that always seems to get exposed in the Bronx despite theoretical overflow (and are we sure Anthony Rizzo will be fresh and clean for Opening Day?). He'll probably earn a contract similar to the short-term deal that made LeMahieu a fan favorite in the first place back in 2019.