Verdict: Give DJ LeMahieu the big bucks
The rumors are swirling around LeMahieu and the New York Yankees. There’s talk they could look to move on from him if the price is too steep, instead deferring to sign someone like Andrelton Simmons to a short-term contracts in hopes they can land one of the big fish free agent shortstops in 2021.
They could also choose to bring back fan-favorite Didi Gregorius, which would be a bittersweet reunion for Yankee fans if it means saying goodbye to DJ. Then, there is of course the possiblility they could pull off the long-speculated blockbuster trade for Francisco Lindor.
Despite all those possibilities, it is clear re-signing Lemahieu is their number 1 priority this offseason. The only questions is how much are they willing to give him.
At the end of the day, LeMahieu is still going to get paid. While he might not receive the long term mega-contracts that the likes of Realmuto and Springer will get, he will likely receive $20-25 million AAV. That’s superstar money, but based on how valuable he has been to the New York Yankees, he deserves probably even more. In fact, he probably deserves an MVP award in his trophy case, too.