NY's infield in 2020 and beyond

jon abbey

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No matter how the rest of 2019 goes, Brian Cashman will have a lot of decisions to make this upcoming offseason. How hard he goes after Gerrit Cole may be the main one, but right up there is the imminent free agency of Didi Gregorius. You can make a good case for Didi as an impact player on the field but also off the field, I think he is as crucial as almost anyone in the clubhouse. But it is really hard for me to see how NY and Didi can figure out a deal that makes sense for both sides...

So, if Didi goes elsewhere, NY would have:

3B: Gio Urshela (27, cost-controlled through 2023)
SS: Gleyber Torres (22, cost-controlled through 2024)
2B: DJ LeMahieu (31, signed through 2020)
1B: Luke Voit (28, cost-controlled through 2024)

Plus whoever of Estrada, Wade, Valera, and Holder survives the winter. And this doesn't include Miguel Andujar, who I don't consider an infielder (possibly a 1B, I would guess no), but he is under control through 2023 also and is a hitting machine when healthy.

Bogaerts is almost three years younger, he signed for 6/120, so that is a ceiling, I'd guess maybe something like 3/54 as a floor. I don't see from a pure baseball perspective how that makes sense for NY at any point in that range, but thinking this through more as I type, NY will offer him the 1/18 qualifying offer which would give him a shot to put up a fully healthy season and then hit FA with more value. That is the only possible common ground IMO, I hope it happens because people will remember Didi was my favorite Yankee from early on for a few years until Judge showed up.

TL/DR: I think the only way Didi is a Yankee next year is if he takes the 1/18 qualifying offer, assuming no major injuries to the guys listed above.
 

jon abbey

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I'd let Didi go and let Torres be the SS of the future. He's so much more talented than Didi. Put that money towards pitching. I think that's as big of a no-brainer as possible.
I think this is definitely true from a pure baseball perspective, although Didi is better defensively. I just wonder about the clubhouse/chemistry part of it.

Also I didn't mention it above, but letting Didi go would also keep the possibility of going after Lindor after 2021 open.
 

RedOctober3829

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I think this is definitely true from a pure baseball perspective, although Didi is better defensively. I just wonder about the clubhouse/chemistry part of it.

Also I didn't mention it above, but letting Didi go would also keep the possibility of going after Lindor after 2021 open.
Sure, but do they really need Lindor? They need pitching much more than they do another bat.
 

terrynever

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Yanks have a surplus of talented infielders and a shortage of quality starting pitchers, as Red O points out. Didi is valuable in many ways but his leadership is replaceable. He turns 30 in February. Is that a factor in this decision the Yanks have to make?

Torres is sloppy defensively at times but he can make all the plays at SS except maybe the throw from deep in the hole. LeMahieu’s best position is second. Based on what we are seeing, DJ deserves to play one position next year, maybe two. Not three. Wade and Estrada can back the infield up next year.

Cashman and the owner must make the call on Didi. Boone, like any manager, would rather keep his shortstop around.

Infield is a big strength for the Yankees, so deep they really have too much talent. Although first base is shaky if Voit is injury-prone.
 

EvilEmpire

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Good analysis. Beyond leadership and better defense, the other thing I would hate to lose is a left-handed bat. But that isn't worth paying a premium for. An accepted QO would be a good thing for the Yankees. Another year to see how Voit and Urshela hold up/perform would be nice.
 
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RedOctober3829

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Yanks have a surplus of talented infielders and a shortage of quality starting pitchers, as Red O points out. Didi is valuable in many ways but his leadership is replaceable. He turns 30 in February. Is that a factor in this decision the Yanks have to make?

Torres is sloppy defensively at times but he can make all the plays at SS except maybe the throw from deep in the hole. LeMahieu’s best position is second. Based on what we are seeing, DJ deserves to play one position next year, maybe two. Not three. Wade and Estrada can back the infield up next year.

Cashman and the owner must make the call on Didi. Boone, like any manager, would rather keep his shortstop around.

Infield is a big strength for the Yankees, so deep they really have too much talent. Although first base is shaky if Voit is injury-prone.
Torres is only 22 years old. He has time to grow defensively just as Devers has done.
 

BaseballJones

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You know what *really* bothers me about this whole conversation?

We are talking about all these terrific (young) players the Yankees have. :mad:

(no offense, Jon)
 

terrynever

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You know what *really* bothers me about this whole conversation?

We are talking about all these terrific (young) players the Yankees have. :mad:

(no offense, Jon)
Boston’s position talent is similar but without quality pitching, talent only goes so far. I think that’s the real lesson of the 2019 Sox. And it is a question the Yankees must answer soon, too, or they will not maximize results during this window of opportunity.
 
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jon abbey

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Yeah, NY seems to have become for position players what HOU has been for pitchers recently. Cameron Maybin is the craziest of all of them, he was close to out of baseball, struggling in AAA for CLE, then NY traded for him and he turned into a .900+ OPS guy almost overnight.
 

terrynever

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It’s insane that DJ is leading the Yankees in RBI, thanks to his crazy RISP numbers. While playing three different positions. They need to settle him in at second base, put Gleyber at short for good and say goodbye to Didi.
 

jon abbey

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And it's time for NY to make the decision I discuss up top, whether to offer DIdi a QO or not, by 5 PM on Monday. I actually didn't realize that NY would only get a 4th rounder in return, assuming he declines and signs elsewhere, so now I think they will not offer it (because chances are good he would take it, I think) but will, at least theoretically, leave the door open for him to come back depending what other offers he get. It's too bad because he is I think an important clubhouse guy but I think Sir Didi is history here.
 

jon abbey

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No QO for Didi, he is a free agent. I don't think that definitively shuts the door on him coming back if he finds there is no market for him, but he is pretty much gone.

Bye, Didi, and thanks for the five seasons of memories.