Every Option At Second and Third Base

by EJ Fagan

November , 2024

***

NOTE: The following comes from EJ Fagan's substack page and is shared with permission. This was published a few days ago so the stats don't include the last few games.

Please check out EJ's substack page for more great articles.

***

In addition to first, the Yankees need to fill a second infield position. Luckily, Jazz Chisholm has some versatility. He’s been a solid-to-great center fielder, shortstop and second baseman in the majors, and I think was a little underrated at third. He struggled to make routine plays like you would expect, but could also make the spectacular throw every once in awhile. With a full Spring Training and offseason to prepare, I bet he could stay there forever.

The optionality is nice, let’s explore all of the options available to the Yankees.

Internal Options: Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, Caleb Durbin

I think we might end up seeing a cheap platoon situation in the infield.

Oswaldo Cabrera was a solid player against right-handed pitching last year. He hit .268/.320/.409 against righties with above average defense at 2nd and 3rd. He was abysmal against lefties, but you can work with a .700 OPS against righties.

Peraza is a pretty solid platoon partner. He’s an even better defender all around. He hit .250/.375/.513 against lefties in Triple-A, including an incredible .295/.404/.614 after figuring theses out around July 1st. Honestly, it’s a crime that they didn’t audition him for the playoffs given their struggles against lefties.

A Cabrera/Peraza platoon has some other advantages. Both are useful utility players who can do more than just hit against one side. Both would function as the standard backup infielder when not playing, and Peraza can really run.

I think both would play 3rd base while Chisholm plays second every day.

What about Durbin? Cashman mentioned him while taking questions this week. I think he deserves a serious chance to compete for a spot. After a solid hitting season, Durbin is killing it in the Arizona Fall League. Of note: he has 22 stolen bases in 20 games. He’s a weird enough player (very high, very weak contact, lots of walks), but baseball is a sport for odd body types. He has reverse platoon splits, but is probably more of a starter candidate than for one half of the platoon. I think he strongest position is actually second base, meaning that Chisholm would play a weaker third.

Let’s do some quick math. Let’s say that the Yankees have $80 million in the budget. Juan Soto is going to somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million. A first baseman could cost $15-20 million. The Yankees need to save money somewhere if they bring in Soto. A league minimum platoon might be the cost of a mega contract.

The Best Free Agent: Alex Bregman

I’m skeptical that the Astros will let Bregman go, but they have been hesitant to sign players to long term deals in the past. Altuve got 5/$125 as a 34 year-old. I imagine that the Astros will be willing to pay Bregman more than that. But maybe they get a little gun shy. Should the Yankees step in? MLB Trade Rumors projects that he’ll cost 7/$182 million.

Bregman had a down year in 2024:

However, his struggles were front loaded. He hit .287/.337/.500 after June 1st, and you could arguably trace his turnaround to a little bit earlier.

I think he’s a little overrated, at least in pure baseball terms. Seven years is a lot for a player whose OPS has averaged just .795 since 2020. He’s settling into being a solid 4 WAR player, but how long can he keep that up? Seven years is a long time. If he follows, for example, Michael Brantley’s career track, he has maybe three good years left in him.

The argument to sign Bregman is mostly off-field. He’s a fiery leader who has won a lot of postseason games. The Yankees sure could use some of that leadership.

The Best International Free Agent: Hyeseong Kim

Kim turns 26 in January. He’s been a solid performer in the KBO, but nothing special. He’s hit for a .842 and .841 OPS over the last two seasons with a high contact line drive swing.

But is he any good? Fellow Korean infielder Ha-Seong Kim was a significantly better hitter in the KBO and has barely managed a .700 OPS in the U.S. He’s been a valuable defender and baserunner, but Hyeseong could have a Bad Volpe-level bat. Even if he matches Ha-Seong on defense, I’m not sure that the Yankees can stomach another defense-first noodle bat.

On the other hand, MLB Trade Rumors projects that he will earn just $24 million over 3 years. He might be worth the risk.

The Best Trade Candidate: Eugenio Suarez

Suarez is one of the players where you are surprised by just how great he is. After a slow start, Suarez went insane in the second half, hitting .312/.357/.617. He’s a huge reason why the Diamondbacks sneakily had the best offense in baseball next year:

So why is he available? He’s owed $15 million for 2025 and the Diamondbacks have top prospect Jordan Lawler ready to fill in for a lot less money. Arizona is short on pitching, and could be interested in a trade involving someone like Clark Schmidt, Nestor Cortes or even Marcus Stroman.

I really like Suarez. He’s a right-handed hitter with solid platoon splits. He’s just a one year commitment. Chisholm moves to his natural position. If the Yankees sign someone like Christian Walker, they would all of the sudden have one of the best defensive infielders in baseball.

Gleyber Torres

I know. We’re all tired of Torres’ flaws. But what if he were willing to take a 1-year deal to rebuild his value? The Yankees could do worse.

I still think it’s a bad idea. Torres needs a change of scenery. He’s gotten awfully unathletic over the last few seasons. I don’t think it’s a guarantee that he’ll rebound offensively or defensively next year. It’s time to move on.