We're several weeks into the offseason and the New York Yankees and AL Batting Champion DJ LeMahieu have yet to reach an agreement over a new deal, which is obviously a huge source of concern for their fans.
LeMahieu was the Yankees' best player during the shortened 2020 MLB season and even an MVP candidate in the American League, so it's only natural to think that he'll draw plenty of interest in the market.
That's also reason enough to think that the Yankees should do whatever it takes to keep him in Pinstripes for the foreseeable future. However, that doesn't seem to be the case according to Yankees insider Michael Key.
DJ LeMahieu Wants A Five-Year Deal
Apparently, the reason why the New York Yankees and DJ LeMahieu haven't agreed to a new deal is that the infielder wants to sign a 5-year deal, while the franchise is only willing to commit to a 4-year contract:
“The Yankees have obviously offered him four years at $21 million a year, which comes out to $84 million. He wants a fifth guaranteed year at $22 million. So that’s $22 million (apart), and then another $1 million for each year. So that comes out to $26 million. It just means that he wants an extra year," Kay said on ESPN radio.
And, according to Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network, the fact that LeMahieu has gotten multiple offers from other teams is only going to make the negotiations even harder for both parties to comply:
“LeMahieu has interest from other teams (...) Blue Jays Dodgers, you name it. He’s one of the more popular free agents for obvious reasons. And he is going to get more engaged with those teams now," Rosenthal said.
Then again, Yankees and LeMahieu are expected to reach an agreement at some point, as his alleged desire is to be back in the Bronx. However, whether the Yankees will be willing to pay that much for an aging player is yet to be seen, even if they're craving their first trip to the World Series in over a decade.
