The New York Yankees and DJ LeMahieu have been beating around the bush for far too long now. We're months into the offseason and the reigning AL Batting Champion is yet to sign a new deal.
Like most MLB teams, the Bronx Bombers are reportedly wary of signing an aging player to a long-term deal. especially amid the pandemic and the financial losses it implies. LeMahieu, on the other hand, feels like it's time for him to get paid.
So, just when it seemed like they were never going to reach an agreement on a new deal and when LeMahieu started reaching out to other teams, it seems like he and the Yankees are finally on the same page.
New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu Finally Close To A Deal
According to a tweet by MLB.com's Jon Morosi, the New York Yankees and DJ LeMahieu are pretty close to signing a new contract and it would be just a matter of hours before it's made official:
"Source: DJ LeMahieu is finalizing an agreement to return to the #Yankees. The deal could be completed as soon as today," Morosi said on Twitter.
DJ LeMahieu Could Get $92 Million Over Four Years
Morosi didn't get into the terms of the contract, but MLB Network's Jon Heyman recently said in an interview that he's likely to get the same kind of deal Josh Donaldson signed with the Minnesota Twins:
"I've heard four years and close to $20 million [per year that the Yankees are] offering at this point (...) We understand he's looking for a five-year deal and the word was he was looking for well over $20 million, probably close to $25 million a year (...) There seems to be compromising room in there. Somewhere around that Josh Donaldson deal -- four years for $92 million. I think that should get it done," Heyman reported.
Obviously, signing a 32-year-old player is a risk, and the Yankees haven't had that much luck with their big contracts lately except for Gerrit Cole. Then again, they just can't afford to lose their best player from the past two seasons.
