If DJ LeMahieu leaves the New York Yankees after 2020, something will have gone very wrong with the team’s best-laid plan.
That being said, sometimes…things happen, and it’s possible another big-spending team will value New York’s infield MVP candidate at a level beyond what the Yankees are willing to afford, especially considering 2/5 of their rotation is also hitting the market in Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton.
So, what would a world without LeMahieu look like? 2021’s second base free agents are no great shakes, so it’s likely that New York would either move Gleyber Torres back to second and pursue a star shortstop, or add one of the league’s most clutch veterans on a short-term deal.