Free Agent Hot Stove: DJ Lemahieu
With the approach of key free agents finding a team looming as the offseason gets deeper, the DJ Lemahieu discussion is gaining a ton of traction. He has been nothing short of incredible these past two seasons for the New York Yankees. In 2019, he racked up 197 hits, 26 home runs, 102 RBIs, and a .327 batting average. He was an All-Star, won a Silver Slugger Award, and finished in the top five in AL MVP voting. This year, he produced at a level even higher than the last. In the shortened sixty game season, he led the league in three major areas, with a .364 batting average, 421 OBP, and 1.011 OPS. He won another Silver Slugger Award, the Batting Title, and finished in the top three in AL MVP voting.
Even though his game has drastically elevated in the past two seasons, he has always been a valuable asset. In his seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies, he was a two time All-Star, won three Gold Glove Awards, and won a Batting Title in 2016. With these accolades and the path he has been on the past two years, he is on a possible Hall of Fame trajectory. However, it may be too little too late. He will be turning 32 next July, and typically infielders will decline by age 34 and on. He will have to produce at the level he was at for the next few seasons to win some more major awards, and cement his Hall of Fame case. Given how much he has improved his numbers over the past couple years, I do not believe this is too tall of a task for Lemahieu.
I believe the two main teams in the Lemahieu sweepstakes are the Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. However, I think he will most likely re-sign with New York. Given the success he’s had over the past two seasons, plus the fact that he is a fan favorite and is playing for a perennial playoff team should be more than enough to attract DJ back. Also, the Yankees’ front office surely sees how popular and cherished he is by the New York media and fans. It is very tough to find a player that can perform in the tough New York market in the way that Lemahieu has the past two years. With all of these factors put together, it is clear why DJ will most likely end up back in New York.
The Blue Jays also have a solid chance in getting DJ, but I believe they will put more of an effort into bolstering their pitching staff and getting a top level outfielder, like George Springer. Toronto has a great young core of players, with three of them being infielders in Bichette, Biggio, and Guerrero, Jr. The idea for Lemahieu in Toronto would likely be to move him full-time to first base, which is certainly not a bad idea. However, I believe that they will focus on their other said priorities.
Contract wise, I think the Yankees will sign him for roughly a 5 year/$120 million dollar deal. Due to his age, I don’t believe that New York will offer him more than a six year deal, and I don’t think DJ will want any less than five year deal for security reasons. Regardless, one team will end up with DJ Lemahieu, and he has proven to be a huge difference maker in a Major League lineup.