MLB Roundup 1/12: Yankees sign DJ LeMahieu

Yankees sign DJ LeMahieu to two-year deal

Well, the chances of the Yankees signing Manny Machado just took a pretty big hit, as they have instead signed another infielder a lot further down the market. On Friday, the Red Sox’ biggest rival signed former Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu to a two-year deal worth $24 million. LeMahieu certainly has some intriguing qualities as a very good defensive player who has shown great bat-to-ball skills over his career. However, it’s unclear how much of his batting average success was due to the hitter-friendly Coors Field. LeMahieu also doesn’t back that up with power, either. The plan seems to be for the former Rockie serve in a utility role for New York, and it also makes their infield mighty crowded. They now have Miguel Andújar, Troy Tulowitzki, Gleyber Torres, Greg Bird, Luke Voit and LeMahieu for their infield. All of this is to say: Their suspected run at Manny Machado is looking less and less likely. They can still make the move, but it would have to come with a corresponding trade, likely of Andújar. There’s a scenario in which this strategy works out for New York, but as a Red Sox fan I’ll certainly be happy if they decide to take a chance on their current infield than one that includes Machado.

Blue Jays trade Russell Martin to Los Angeles

The Yankees weren’t the only American League East team to make moves on Friday. The Blue Jays have cleared the way for a young backstop by trading their veteran catcher back to his original team out west. Toronto sent Russell Martin to the Dodgers for a pair of minor leaguers Andrew Sopko and Ronny Brito. The return isn’t anything too special, as the reports on the two prospects are nothing overly impressive. The real benefit here is that Toronto gets to clear up their roster a bit, as well as their payroll. Martin is clearly on the decline and the Blue Jays have a young catcher in Danny Jansen they believe is ready to take over. Now, he has a clear path to the starting role. As for the Dodgers, they just lost Yasmani Grandal and can now pair Martin with Austin Barnes behind the dish and give an extra year to prospects Will Smith and Keibert Ruiz.