The Yankees can send a message by making a change to their struggling infield

DJ LeMahieu reached the batters’ territory whose Yankees The Yankees either benched him or designated him for assignment, even though they had money at their disposal. While they tried to make him their starting third baseman, the bat has completely regressed and the Yankees need to be aware of the situation they are in with him. Aaron Hicks had a wRC+ of 49 last season before being designated for assignment to Cincinnati. Josh Donaldson had a wRC+ of 78 before being released by the Yankees last summer.

Right now, LeMahieu has a wRC+ of 43 and an OBP of .270, marks that are worse than the aforementioned Hicks and Donaldson, and considering he’s already 35, it’s an indication of a steep and brutal decline for the once-great infielder.

It’s time for the Yankees to admit they have a problem with DJ LeMahieu

Regression is something that happens fast, and when it hits, you go from a playable starter to one of the worst regulars in baseball. In DJ LeMahieu’s case, he went from a good third baseman in 2022 to an average one in 2023, and is now downright one of the worst players not only in baseball, but in the entire league. Looking at how he regressed compared to Josh Donaldson, it’s an eerily similar fall from grace.

Both players had similar ups and downs, becoming league-average hitters right away before hitting rock bottom. The Yankees designated Josh Donaldson for assignment after 37 games with a 78 wRC+, and while he became a free agent at the end of the season, it was an admission that he simply wasn’t good enough to earn a roster spot, even on an 82-80 team. As for DJ LeMahieu, he’s 30 games into the season with a 43 wRC+, a mark that would justify releasing him right now.

This is not an exaggeration; after 28 games with the Yankees, Aaron Hicks was designated for assignment with a wRC+ of 49 despite having 2.5 years of team control remaining on his contract at the time of his release. LeMahieu has 2.5 years of control right now, and while I don’t expect them to cut the veteran infielder, they should 100% keep him on the bench. J.D. Davis isn’t my go-to option either; there are certainly ways to find deserving infielders.

Jorbit Vivas has completely changed the game in Scranton after a rough start caused by injuries, increasing his wRC+ on the season to 125. He does a great job of making contact and working on walks, skills he also had with the Dodgers, but now we’re seeing him harness some power from the pull-side and generate offense that way. I don’t like the idea of ​​bringing him in after about a month of regular playing time in Triple-A, but this team needs another spark.

Part of the problem with yesterday’s loss was their lack of effort and intensity on the field. LeMahieu ran to get a ball out that he was nearly doubled over because of that lackadaisical effort. Anthony Volpe not knowing the ball was fair game and running home was a bad thing, but just as bad was LeMahieu’s choice to run straight to second base instead of running in, which would have scored another run that would have given them the win.

The Yankees embarrassed themselves against the Red Sox not because they gave up a huge home run, but because they showed a complete lack of effort and intensity. Jorbit Vivas doesn’t have the top-100 prospect status that should earn him an automatic call-up, but he brings another option and another body that can create a greater sense of urgency in the locker room.

Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu have been consistent below-average performers and don’t have a single suitor on the roster who can challenge them for playing time. has Change is needed if the Yankees are going to create the urgency and spark needed to break out of this terrible slump they find themselves in. Change is an important step before improvement, and this team needs a wake-up call sooner rather than later.

They got swept by a bottom-tier Reds team that was dead in the water and responded with the kind of effort that would have you running until you puked the next day in high school. If you want to make sure that doesn’t happen again, moving a beloved veteran who doesn’t bring anything to the table from his uncontested third base position could potentially help get you back on track.