Bad contracts are inevitable in baseball, but it’s hard to argue against teams betting on short-term success. Problems arise when teams roll the dice on profiles that don’t age well, committing long-term money to fragile skill sets.
The New York Yankees fell into that trap after second baseman DJ LeMahieu followed his impressive 2019 campaign with an otherworldly two months in 2020. Signing him to a six-year, $90 million deal, New York banked on LeMahieu retaining elite contact skills and the requisite bat speed through his mid-30s.
Simply put, the Yankees didn’t get the performance they expected from the two-time batting champion. Injuries and inconsistencies underlined the duration of his post-extension tenure, and this season, the situation became untenable. New York designated him for assignment on Wednesday, meaning it has a week to find a trade him or place him on waivers.
His career with the Yankees, in all likelihood, is over.
The writing was on the wall for LeMahieu
LeMahieu was largely a two-tool player for the bulk of his career. He won two batting titles with 70-grade contact, and when his defense cooperated, he put up a handful of seasons with 3+ WAR.
Once his bat speed left, the bat-to-ball skills weren’t far behind. LeMahieu posted a dismal 53 wRC+ in an injury-riddled 2024 with an uncharacteristic .203 batting average. In 2025, he was pigeon-holed into second base due to limitations with his arm strength. Across 45 games, he hit an empty .266.
MORE: Baltimore Orioles rookie Brandon Young reacts to immaculate inning vs. New York Mets
LeMahieu was never going to provide much power and, at 36 years old, steal many bases. With his defense waning, he needed his contact to stay afloat, and his continued decline made his profile unstartable. This was emphasized by the Yankees’ defensive struggles in the infield. Jazz Chisholm played third base after LeMahieu returned from injury, posting negative three outs above average (per Baseball Savant) compared to three at second base.
Benching LeMahieu (and moving Chisholm to his natural position) improved New York’s defense and rendered the veteran a bench bat. However, a struggling hitter with limited power, speed, and defense isn’t valuable enough to roster in a playoff race, all but deciding LeMahieu’s fate.
The Yankees will owe the veteran infielder nearly $22 million for the 1.5 seasons left on his deal, emphasizing the urgency New York felt to make this move. In his place, the team promoted infielder Jorbit Vivas.
From afar, this was the accelerated end of a bad deal, one of general manager Brian Cashman’s biggest whiffs. In the Bronx, it’s a sad final chapter in LeMahieu’s New York story, one that includes several key playoff moments and the respect of an organization and fanbase that watched him attack his struggles with class.
MORE MLB NEWS
