Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Yankees would ‘love’ to add Eugenio Suarez as their third baseman, with the team aiming to slide Jazz Chisholm back to second base.
The infield defense has been a disaster since Chisholm has slid over to third, as he’s been worth -2 Fielding Run Value while DJ LeMahieu has been mediocre at second base.
We all know their best alignment must have Jazz Chisholm at second base, but the team’s unwillingness to call it quits on LeMahieu has once again bit them in the rear end.
An addition of a bat like Suarez’s who has posted an .891 OPS across 87 games with 28 home runs would be a welcome sight for a team that’s struggled to find the perfect infielder.
Eugenio Suarez Would Solve Massive Issues with Yankees’ Infield
The Yankees would be adding a true star-caliber bat if they brought in Eugenio Suarez, who has the power to change a game with just one swing and immediately serve as a middle-of-the-order bat.
Having a lineup where Aaron Judge hits second and Eugenio Suarez hits fourth would be overpowered, the team could have either Ben Rice or Trent Grisham lead-off with Cody Bellinger as the likely three-hitter.
Jazz Chisholm could hit right behind Suarez, and suddenly that front five looks like a complete nightmare for opposing pitching staffs to deal with.
A free agent at the end of the season, Suarez’s price tag shouldn’t be low but it also shouldn’t require New York to trade away a prospect such as George Lombard Jr.
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Brian Cashman could try and entice the Diamondbacks with a bevy of pitching prospects both in the upper and lower levels of the Minor Leagues.
Cam Schlittler may not be as available as before due to Clarke Schmidt’s injury, but Carlos Lagrange, Bryce Cunningham, and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz could be of interest to the Diamondbacks.
New York could also dangle catching or first base depth with Rafael Flores and Jesus Rodriguez, and perhaps these two can work out a deal that would help New York bolster the middle of its offense.
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