Yankees lose recent infield target to Astros on minor-league deal

In case you're wondering where we're at in the New York Yankees' search for infield help, we've officially reached the "Didn't Get a Guy on a Minor-League Deal" stage. That means, of course, that either the player in question was entirely unwilling to cut his hair for a shot in the dark (plausible), or the Yankees aren't interested in bringing in more bodies, even at a minimum.

Rest assured, New York did not get outbid by the Houston Astros in the chase for Brendan Rodgers; Houston agreed to a minor-league pact with Rodgers late Tuesday night. All Rodgers receives is an invite to spring training, pending a physical. This is even less of a commitment than the $1 million the Washington Nationals bestowed upon Paul DeJong last week. If the Yankees were interested once upon a time, they no longer were when camp began.

Framing this as a massive loss for the Yankees would be disingenuous. It does, however, confirm that while they may collect more infield depth like Braden Shewmake before spring is done, they're not looking to clog the third base picture with names of a similar pedigree to Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera, and DJ LeMahieu.

Now comes the part where we hope they never encounter Rodgers in a key situation and we have to revisit how non-plussed and accepting we are today.

Astros sign Yankees target Brendan Rodgers to minor-league deal

Rodgers, once a top-10 prospect in all of baseball, has a Gold Glove on his mantle from 2022, but isn't thought of as a particularly strong defender, posting a -3 OAA and -2 run value last season. He's a regular ~.260 hitter with low OBPs and ~.720 OPS marks during seasons where he played half his games at Coors Field, a dreamland for offensive players of all shapes and sizes.

His primary position is second base, meaning that any Rodgers addition for anything larger than a bench role would've displaced Jazz Chisholm and sent him back to unfamiliar territory. Are we sure signing Rodgers was worth almost ensuring an Oswald Peraza DFA? Likely not.

While it can be jarring to watch minor-league deals come off the board while the Yankees stay complacent, this particular move does not feel like a tremendous missed opportunity. Unless, of course, Houston unlocks what's been lying dormant in Rodgers all along. The Yankees appear to be all set; oddly, a blockbuster trade for a late March salary exchange feels more likely than a cheap flyer, at this point.