The New York Yankees already have a plan B in place if they fail to re-sign All-Star infielder DJ LeMahieu. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, if LeMahieu decides to go elsewhere, the Yankees will make a run for veteran Michael Brantley.
The Yankees reportedly already contacted Brantley and made him aware of their interest.
Brantley had a stellar campaign in 2020 with the Houston Astros, hitting .300 while adding five homers and 22 RBIs. He also showed up in the playoffs, boasting a batting average of .346 and contributing with three home runs and 11 RBIs.
The 33-year-old seems like a good option for the Yankees both because of his production and the fact that he’s a lefty. Yankee’s current batting core is predominantly right-handed.
The downside of getting Michael Brantley is that Yankees would likely have to pay more than DJ LeMahieu demands. Brantley was on a two-year, $32 million deal with Houston, and it is believed he would command a similar contract this offseason. In contrast, the Yankees were paying LeMahieu only $12 million a year over the last two seasons.
Of course, there’s always a chance that Brantley will be off the market by the time the Yankees decide on whether to make him an offer or not. He is on the radar of several other teams, including the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets.
Brantley, a four-time All-Star and a Silver Slugger Award winner, has a career batting average of .297, 114 home runs in the majors, 640 RBIs and 123 stolen bases.
