The New York Yankees seem to be on the hunt for a new second baseman.
Now that Jazz Chisholm Jr. has settled in at third base in his return from the injured list, it seems as though DJ LeMahieu is on borrowed time at second. The three-time All-Star simply isn’t the hitter he once was.
There should be more options to fill second at the trade deadline than there would be at the hot corner, or at least, that’s what New York seems to be thinking.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeff Passan pitched Tampa Bay Rays second baseman as the best fit for the Yankees at the trade deadline. It’s an idea that makes sense, but what would the trade package actually look like?
In a recent YouTube video, content creator Jim Riley proposed a hypothetical deal that would ship catcher Rafael Flores (MLB Pipeline’s 15th-ranked Yankees prospect) and right-handed pitcher Brian Hendry (unranked) to the Rays for Lowe.
“Brandon Lowe’s value is as high as it is because he has another year of control,” Riley said. “And it’s relatively cheap control. Cheap for the Yankees, not necessarily cheap for the Rays.”
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“This power bat would certainly be a boost, an upgrade, for the Yankees in that infield.”
Lowe, 30, has a .753 OPS and 12 home runs this season, which is about what one could expect from this former All-Star. He might not reach his 2021 heights again, when he popped a career-high 39 homers, but he does average 34 per 162 games in his career.
Most importantly, Lowe needs to stay healthy. If he can do that until the trade deadline, New York would likely be happy to take on his remaining salary for this season and $11.5 million club option in 2026.
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