I loved the 2018 Yankees.
They led baseball in homers—Aaron Judge only hit 27 of them.
Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez were future Hall of Famers.
They had two potential decade-long first basemen in Greg Bird and Luke Voit.
Giancarlo Stanton looked like the MVP they stole from Miami.
Didi Gregorius was the next Jeter.
But they had disgusting plate tendencies, refusing to settle for base hits—and instead, swinging for the fences, regardless of game situations— leading to some of the most frustrating games I’ve ever watched.
Still loved them.
Sure, Sonny Gray was a massive disappointment and CC Sabathia was 87 years old.
It was still dope to watch a 100-win team, warts and all.
But yea, their at-bats sucked ass.
No one finished with a batting average above .300.
Miguel Andujar led the team with a .297 BA.
The Yankees needed DJ LeMahieu.
Prior to signing with the Yankees, DJ LeMahieu was a 3-time Gold Glove second baseman for the Colorado Rockies.
He was a 2-time All-Star and in 2016, LeMahieu led the league in batting average and received MVP votes.
DJ LeMahieu arrived in 2019 and instantly made an impact.
DJ played Closing Time. pic.twitter.com/ia7fET49LQ
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 31, 2019
Let’s take a look at 2019 again. Man was a one-man army:
- 145 games (led the team)
- 5.6 WAR (led the team)
- 197 hits (led the team)
- 109 runs (led the team)
- 26 homers (Yo, Gary Sanchez hit 38 of them thangs)
- 102 RBIs (led the team)
- .327 BA (led baseball)
- .893 OPS
- 139 Rbat+
- All-Star
- Silver Slugger
- 4th in MVP
Oh, and then he just came back in 2020—that weird shortened Covid season that felt like a lucid dream—and was arguably the best player in world—leading the league in WAR, batting average, on-base percentage, OPS and finished 3rd in MVP voting.
A team, prior to LeMahieu’s arrival, dedicated to swinging through every fucking slider away.
DJ was a professional at the top of the order, consistently putting together tough, smart at-bats—instead of closing his eyes and hoping, if he swings hard enough, the ball will land in momument park.
Then injuries robbed him of his availability as well as his effectiveness.
In 2025, at age 36, DJ LeMahieu looked like he was playing in a weighted jacket and Chinese slippers.
The Yankees needed DJ LeMahieu.
The Yankees need a third baseman.
Jazz Chisolm made an All-Star team despite playing third all year but the Yankees announced he will be returning to second base, where he belongs—leaving a hole in the corner of their infield.
DJ LeMahieu wasn’t just a consistent hitter, he was a steady glove across the infield—capable of filling in wherever needed and gloving at a high level anywhere.
DJ LeMahieu’s Yankee career is over pic.twitter.com/cLQvCsEhGR
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 9, 2025
The Yankees announced that they have released DJ LeMahieu pic.twitter.com/hAfSc611Z1
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
This week, LeMahieu was DFA’d before inevitably being outright released.
The Yankees will owe LeMahieu the rest of his $15 million salary this season, along with $15 million in 2026.
New York needed LeMahieu to come back from injury and return to his former superstar form to hold down third base.
Obviously, it was unfair to expect that of a man who now physically moves like he sleeps in the backseat of a tiny car after a bruuuuutal divorce but we’ve seen him be the best player in pinstripes before.
I’m okay with the Yankees giving LeMahieu one final opportunity to show his ceiling.
He earned it.
Which third basemen should the Yankees acquire?
Reports already indicate that not only are the Yankees going all in on Eugenio Saurez but they might be on the doorsteps of prying away Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, two of the best starting pitchers in the NL, from the Diamondbacks as well.
So we’ll skip the Saurez talk and here are 3 other players I think the Yankees should acquire at the trade deadline:
1. Nolan Arenado
In the past, I wanted Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger on the Yankees and I manifested it.
Sure, they both arrived 5 years later than I wanted them both it happened.
Why not do the same thing with 34-year-old Nolan Arenado—once the best third baseman in the league, now arguably the 8th best hitter on the 3rd place St. Louis Cardinals.
Get a ton of future Hall of Fame candidates in a clubhouse together, all older with a sense of urgency and the understanding this could all be their final year as productive Major League Baseball players on a World Series caliber roster.
Yes, it’s not the best look for the Yankees to become an elephant graveyard of used-to-be-greats but it’s better than some guys currently on the roster who I’d describe as never-been-greats.
2. Ke’Bryan Hayes
Hayes may be the best defensive third baseman in the Majors.
Ke’BRYAN HAYES WITH THE SPORTSCENTER TOP 10 WEBGEM
PLATINUM GLOVE. NOW!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/kFb4gnfmE5
— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) June 6, 2025
Fucking different.
Ke’Bryan doesn’t have much of a bat (that 64 OPS+ is as sexy as that time Lizzo showed up to the Lakers game in assless chaps) but Jazz Chisholm is a below-average third baseman.
It doesn’t matter if Hayes can’t add runs to the board if he’s taking runs away from the opposing team.
3. Manny Machado
What if, whatever massive package the Yankees are about to give for the Diamondbacks haul, they just send to San Diego for Manny Machado instead?
Here’s what Yankees GM Brian Cashman said this week about the team’s level of aggression at the trade deadline:
“We’re going to go to town,” he said. “We’re going to do everything we possibly can to improve ourselves and try to match up and hopefully at the end of it all, we’ll have whatever is here on this current roster remaining healthy and we’ll add to it and be proud of that and take our shot.”
No bigger swing than acquiring the 6-time All-Star third baseman currently with 15 homers, 53 RBIs and a 128 OPS+.
He’d easily be the third-best hitter in the lineup behind Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham.
The Padres don’t want to pay this 33-year-old $39 million a year, every year, until 2034.
#Trade4MachadoNow
Thanks for reading.
Let me know if you think Jacob Misiorowski is about to win every Cy Young Award until he retires, leave a comment below. Respond on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Or shoot me an email at Deadseriousmailbag@gmail.com. Let’s chat, bay-beeeee.
User Comments2