The Yankees have already had a busy offseason however aren’t finished but. Jeff Passan of ESPN reviews that they’ve had discussions with the Padres about Luis Arráez and the Dodgers about Gavin Lux, with both a risk to take over the second base job within the Bronx. Jon Morosi of MLB Community says the Mariners, who’re identified to be on the lookout for infield upgrades, have checked in on Lux as nicely.
For the Yanks, their infield took a few hits on the finish of the 2024 season, with Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres each hitting free company, leaving holes at first and second base. They’ve since taken care of first by signing Paul Goldschmidt, however one other infield improve would make sense.
The flexibility of Jazz Chisholm Jr. offers them some flexibility. He largely performed third base after being acquired final 12 months however has loads of expertise on the keystone, that means the Yanks may add both a second or third basemen, with Chisholm taking up whichever place is just not addressed. They’ve been linked to free agent Alex Bregman and commerce candidate Nolan Arenado as potential third base additions however look like exploring second base candidates as nicely.
Arráez is a logical commerce candidate from San Diego’s perspective and one thing they’ve reportedly thought-about. RosterResource at present initiatives the Padres for a $210MM payroll this 12 months, nicely past final 12 months’s $169MM determine. Whereas a payroll bump is reportedly doable, it’s been recommended they should get their 2025 spending nearer to 2024 ranges. They’re additionally projected to be simply above the aggressive stability tax and certain wish to dip beneath that if they’re going to be slicing payroll.
Nonetheless, a lot of their gamers are tough to maneuver for contractual causes. Many have no-trade clauses or hefty remaining ensures or each. Additionally they have a variety of spots on the roster that would use upgrades.
Final winter, an analogous set of circumstances led to the Friars parting methods with Juan Soto and Trent Grisham, sending them to the Yankees. The 5 gamers they obtained in return allowed them to shore up their depth in several areas whereas additionally offloading notable wage commitments.
Arráez, 28 in April may maybe observe the identical path this 12 months. Like Soto final offseason, he’s at present one 12 months away from free company and set to make a notable wage in his last season of membership management. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz initiatives Arráez to earn $14.6MM in 2025. That’s about half of what Soto was set to earn in 2024 however nonetheless a notable chunk of change for a workforce with budgetary constraints.
Although the projected wage is considerably decrease, Arráez will nonetheless have far much less enchantment as a commerce candidate than Soto did. Regardless of his elite bat-to-ball abilities, Arráez is a restricted participant. He doesn’t take walks or add a lot energy and can be not an asset defensively. Regardless of three straight batting titles, his .323/.372/.418 profession batting line provides as much as a wRC+ of 120, indicating his total offensive contributions have been about 20% above common. Soto, however, has a .285/.421/.532 line and 158 wRC+ in his profession.
The aforementioned defensive limitations are additionally one thing the Yankees should contemplate with Arráez. The Twins began utilizing him extra at first base in 2022 earlier than buying and selling him to the Marlins. With the Fish in 2023, Arráez acquired his largest pattern of labor at second and produced 4 Defensive Runs Saved but additionally -11 Outs Above Common. The Padres acquired him early within the 2024 season and solely put him on the keystone for 58 innings the remainder of the best way.
The Yankees must weigh his defensive limitations towards the attraction of placing his bat into the lineup, whereas additionally factoring within the cash. RosterResource initiatives their aggressive stability tax quantity at $303MM for this 12 months, which is already above the fourth and last tier. As a third-time payor at that stage, the Yanks face a 110% tax on any extra spending and would subsequently must pay about $30MM to make use of Arráez this 12 months. After all, the Padres would additionally need one thing in return, although the associated fee financial savings may be their prime precedence in the meanwhile.
As for Lux, it’s unclear if the 27-year-old is even obtainable nevertheless it’s comprehensible why the Yanks would choose up the telephone and test, because the Dodgers appear to be overloaded with center infield choices. They’re planning to have Mookie Betts act as their on a regular basis shortstop and dedicated themselves to that path by signing Teoscar Hernández and Michael Conforto to fill their nook outfield jobs, with guys like Andy Pages and Dalton Speeding additionally within the combine.
With Tommy Edman seemingly ticketed for the middle area job, that leaves them with Betts at quick and Lux at second, with Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor round as bench/utility guys. They added even additional depth by signing Hyeseong Kim a couple of days in the past. Reportedly, the membership nonetheless plans to make use of Betts and Lux as their primarily center infielders, however maybe the Kim signing will increase the probabilities of the Yankees prying Lux free.
In the event that they succeeded, they’d be getting one thing of an unknown amount. Lux has had an up-and-down profession to this point, however with some encouraging up arrows. By the top of the 2021 season, he had a tepid batting line of .233/.314/.368, which led to an 86 wRC+. He took a noticeable step ahead in 2022, slashing .276/.346/.399 for a 113 wRC+, however then missed all of 2023 because of a torn ACL.
His 2024 season was a step again, in a way, although he completed sturdy. He hit .251/.320/.383 for a wRC+ of 100 on the season total however with a dismal .213/.267/.295 line within the first half and a sturdy .304/.390/.508 exhibiting within the second, resulting in respective wRC+ marks of 60 and 152 in these halves. His batting common on balls in play jumped over 100 factors from the primary half to the second, so it may not be solely sustainable, however he additionally improved when it comes to the standard of his batted balls. Defensively, the critiques are combined. Each DRS and OAA gave Lux a unfavourable grade at second base in 2024 however each have him in optimistic territory for his profession total.
Financially, Lux is extra enticing than Arráez. Due to an inconsistent profession and lacking a whole season, Lux is projected to make simply $2.7MM subsequent 12 months, with an additional 12 months of membership management past that as nicely. Given the Yankees’ CBT scenario, that may be much more enticing, nevertheless it’s additionally beneficial to the Dodgers for a similar motive. For the reason that Dodgers don’t appear particularly motivated to let go of Lux, the Yankees must ship one thing of actual worth the opposite approach.
For the Mariners, their infield wants are well-known. They misplaced Justin Turner to free company, turned down an possibility for Jorge Polanco and non-tendered Josh Rojas. Other than shortstop J.P. Crawford, little is settled on the filth in Seattle. They’ve some inside choices, equivalent to Luke Raley for first base. He would wish a right-handed platoon companion, which may come within the type of bringing again Turner. At second, they reportedly have some willingness to trip with Dylan Moore and Ryan Bliss till prospect Cole Younger is able to take over.
That has made it appear extra probably that the membership would add at third base, although bringing in a second baseman continues to be a consideration. The M’s have been linked to Cubs’ second baseman Nico Hoerner earlier this winter, as an example, and are seemingly open to Lux as nicely. Lux does have some third base expertise, however solely six innings within the majors, so he can be a much more logical answer on the keystone.
His low projected wage is unquestionably interesting to the Mariners, although for various causes than the Yankees. Seattle reportedly has about $15MM to play with this offseason, a decent sufficient finances that Luis Castillo rumors have been swirling for fairly some time. A Castillo commerce would weaken the rotation however would open up some extra spending capability, maybe to go after a participant like Bregman or Arenado, although buying and selling for Lux may be a extra simple answer. That might permit the M’s to maintain their sturdy rotation intact, although they’d maybe have to present the Dodgers some notable prospect capital to be able to transfer Lux up the coast.
