Insider expects Yankees to start DJ LeMahieu at third, warns it’s a risky move

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The New York Yankees have addressed most of their roster concerns this offseason, but one major question remains: Who’s playing third base?

Yankees betting on DJ LeMahieu

With Gleyber Torres gone to the Tigers, Jazz Chisholm Jr. is expected to shift from third to second base, leaving a glaring hole at the hot corner. Right now, the Yankees seem inclined to hand the job to DJ LeMahieu—a decision that could blow up in their face.

LeMahieu was dreadful in 2024, slashing .201/.269/.259 in 67 games before injuries shut him down. His bat speed evaporated, his power was nonexistent, and his two home runs felt like miracles. He looked every bit like a player in decline. And yet, despite clear signs that he’s not the same hitter he once was, the Yankees appear willing to see if he can still be a viable everyday player.

On Friday, The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner reported in his spring training roster preview that LeMahieu is the early favorite to win the third base job.

“When camp opens, LeMahieu will be the odds-on favorite to be the Yankees’ Opening Day third baseman. It would appear to be a mistake based on recent history,” Kirschner wrote.

“The Yankees will point to the 36-year-old being a two-time batting champion, but he won both honors in 2016 and 2020. It’s irrelevant to what kind of hitter he is in 2025.”

It’s a fair point. Banking on LeMahieu’s track record instead of his recent production is a dangerous game, and the Yankees don’t have the luxury of carrying a dead bat in their lineup. There’s also the financial component—LeMahieu is still owed $30 million over the next two seasons. If he’s unplayable, that deal becomes a sunk cost, and the Yankees will have to decide how long they’re willing to let him try to prove otherwise.

There are only two people who can stop this from becoming a problem before Opening Day: general manager Brian Cashman, who still has time to find an alternative, and Aaron Boone, who can test other options in camp. The Yankees do have internal candidates—Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera, and even Chisholm Jr. in a pinch—but none offer a clear upgrade over what LeMahieu was last season.

If Cashman doesn’t act and Boone sticks with LeMahieu, the Yankees will be betting on an aging player with rapidly declining skills to hold down a crucial infield position. If it backfires, Yankees fans will have every reason to be furious.

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