On Wednesday, the New York Yankees parted ways with a multi-time All-Star who was once truly an irreplaceable part of their lineup in one of the more shocking moves of the MLB season to date.
On Tuesday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone made the decision to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. into an everyday second base roll after previously spending much of his time at third base, which created a rather uncomfortable situation for three-time All-Star second baseman DJ LeMahieu.
According to Boone, a potential move to third base for LeMahieu wasn’t a possibility, as it was reportedly taxing on his body to play the position. And this left the Yankees in a position where LeMahieu would largely be strictly a bat off the bench.
Instead of utilizing LeMahieu off the bench, the Yankees made the tough decision to ultimately part ways with LeMahieu, designating him for assignment on Wednesday prior to their game against the Seattle Mariners. The news was first reported by Yankees beat writer Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
After what was a delayed start to the season for LeMahieu due to an injury to start the season, he has put up some respectable stats at the plate this year in limited opportunities, sporting a .266 batting average with a .674 OPS in 45 games this season.
Despite this, it simply didn’t seem like LeMahieu had any clear role in the field for the Yankees, which was the biggest factor in this decision. And naturally, Yankees fans have had plenty to say about this rather surprising decision.
At 36 years of age, LeMahieu’s future in the MLB certainly seems to be far from clear. But for teams looking to add a veteran presence with a ton of back class to speak of in the middle infield, LeMahieu may at the very least be a name to watch in the free agency pool in the days to come.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.