Breaking down the dwindling infield options for the Yankees as spring training nears
The Yankees’ infield options are dwindling. Jorge Polanco, who had been of some level of interest, agreed to re-sign with the Mariners on Thursday.Ha-Seong Kim landed with the Rays on Wednesday.
The void left by Gleyber Torres remains, and there are not many proven free agents left for the plucking. The market for second basemen and third basemen is led by Alex Bregman — a signing that would send the Yankees soaring past the final CBT threshold — and includes a few potential targets several tiers below. It is possible that the Yankees enter camp (and the season) with Jazz Chisholm Jr.as their second baseman and allow DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza to battle it out for third base.
But about a week and a half before pitchers and catchers report to Tampa, here is a look at some of the Yankees’ external options: A source said the Yankees have inquired on Hernandez, whom they also asked about last winter.The 33-year-old utilityman is an October legend who stepped up his game again in helping the Dodgers win the World Series, but who has been ordinary recently in the regular season, owning a .643 OPS from 2022-24.
The most likely destination for Hernandez, though, is probably back in Los Angeles, and the Dodgers will have open roster spots when they are able to slide injured players to the 60-day injured list. Would the Yankees trigger a different kind of “OMG” reaction from Mets fans? The 35-year-old second baseman/pop star still lingers in free agency after a brilliant stint in Queens in which he hit .337 over 85 games.His advanced metrics do not support that his pace was sustainable, but the smooth-fielding veteran re-established that he is a major league player. Early in the offseason, the Yankees asked for and received medical information on Moncada, who played just 12 games with the White Sox last season because of an adductor strain.
Moncada is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.A source said the Yankees hav...