After Juan Soto left the Yankees for the crosstown Mets, GM Brian Cashman was quick to re-establish confidence in the New York team that made it to the World Series last season. The Yankees’ roster now features Cody Bellinger, Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, Devin Williams and Fernando Cruz. However, without Gleyber Torres, the Yankees still have at least one more hole to fill.
The Yankees have scouted several infield candidates, some ideal and some not so ideal: everyone from Alex Bregman, Luis Arraez, Gavin Lux and Jorge Polanco. Now it seems Cashman’s eyes have come to rest on two less-than-perfect fits on the free agent market.
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Brian Cashman is eyeing Brendan Rodgers and Paul DeJong to fill the opening at second base
According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Cashman is strongly considering Paul DeJong and Brendan Rodgers to takeover for Torres on the infield. This comes after Arraez is deemed to not be a fit for the Yankees and Gavin Lux has been traded to the Reds. In the wake of that move, it seems like the Yankees have their eyes on something more minor than most fans would probably prefer.
Starting with the Colorado Rockies' second baseman, Rodgers slashed .267/.314/.407 with 13 home runs. He also comes with a top-shelf glove having won a Gold Glove in 2022. On the surface, he seems like a decent fit. Unfortunately, he comes with a variety of issues.
To start, Rodgers has greatly benefitted from the high altitude of Denver; away from Colorado, Rodgers hit .214 with four home runs last season. He doesn’t draw walks or steal bases, and his right-handed bat is not a match for Yankee Stadium, which is reportedly the main reason the Yankees lost interest in Bregman.
After New York’s inning of calamity in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series, Cashman is seemingly eyeing only solid defenders, which is the bulk of the reason why Arraez isn’t seen as a fit. But if improving the infield defense when compared to Torres is the goal, then DeJong doesn’t make much sense either.
DeJong has some pop to his bat, hitting 24 home runs last season in 445 at-bats. However, his slash line of .227/.276/.427 is not what the Yankees need as a power-forward lineup lacking a reliable on-base threat. In addition, DeJong’s right-handed bat poses the same problem as Rodgers' in the confines of Yankee Stadium.
DeJong's glove also leaves something to be desired. Last season, he posted -1 outs above average at shortstop. While his defense is somewhat better than his potential predecessor's, neither his bat nor his glove justify signing him as an improvement over Torres. Baseball Savant gives him positive marks for defensive range, but his arm strength is badly lacking, making him more suited to second base rather than third where he has more experience.
Right now, Cashman’s pivot away from Bregman makes no sense, as the former Astros star combines the best attributes of both players: DeJong’s power, Rodgers' Gold Glove prowess, as well as an ability to hit. For now, we can only wait as the last piece of the Yankee puzzle falls into place.
