The New York Yankees have a problem at third base brewing.
DJ LeMahieu, the player who was expected to get the Opening Day starting nod, is now dealing with another injury that could sideline him for some time since his recovery timetable has yet to be determined.
That leaves the duo of Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera to battle it out, two underwhelming options for everyday play considering what they have done during their careers to this point.
Not addressing third base was always a risky proposition for the Yankees, and with LeMahieu already injured at this point of the spring, those fears immediately came to light.
Trading for Nolan Arenado continues to be a talking point, but there’s been no indication that New York is willing to part with the assets necessary to acquire him or pay even a partial amount of the money owed to the future Hall of Famer over the next three years.
One of the outside options in free agency who was seen as a possible target was Jose Iglesias.
The former New York Mets infielder, who was a key part in the turnaround for the crosstown rivals last season, could have been added on an affordable deal. And with an injury to LeMahieu occurring, signing the veteran could have been the direction they took.
However, that is no longer a possibility for the Yankees.
As first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided, Iglesias agreed to a deal with the San Diego Padres. Jon Heyman of The New York Post later added it’s a contract that would be worth $3 million if he reaches the Majors, plus another $1 million in incentives.
Iglesias isn’t a gamechanger by any means.
But he’s a 12-year veteran who is coming off a resurgent season where he produced an OPS+ of 137 while slashing .337/.381/.448 across his 85 games and 291 plate appearances, resulting in a bWAR of 3.1.
Now, New York almost assuredly will enter the upcoming campaign with the current trio of options in place, even with LeMahieu already dealing with an injury.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
