One of the biggest sagas of the 2020 offseason is the free agency of infielder D.J. LeMahieu. The 32-year-old is on the open market after two phenomenal seasons with the New York Yankees.

Phenomenal may even be an understatement, as LeMahieu hit .336 in the Bronx, and finished in the top five in MVP voting both seasons. In years that the Bombers were mauled by constant injuries, LeMahieu has been, by far, the most consistent force in the team’s lineup since 2019.

However, while both the Yanks and LeMahieu have mutual interest, negotiations are reportedly not going great. With several other teams also in the D.J. sweepstakes, it has become a very real possibility that he could be in a different uniform next season.

Life Without LeMahieu?

So, what do the Yankees do if LeMahieu signs elsewhere? The best-case scenario is easy: trade for Francisco Lindor.

The Cleveland Indians have recently shed several players due to financial reasons, including closer Brad Hand. With Lindor heading into his final season under team control, trade rumors have been swirling around him for a long time. The team recently declared they are “aggressively” listening to trade offers regarding the shortstop.

Gleyber Torres’ defensive struggles at short have been well-documented, while Lindor has won 2 Gold Glove awards at the position. A move back to second base could potentially suit Torres much better.

In an abbreviated 2020 campaign, Lindor had the worst season of his career, slashing .258/.335/.415 with eight home runs. He did, however, play in all 60 games. Lindor is a career .285 hitter, with an OPS+ of 117. As a switch-hitter, he also would provide some much-needed balance in the righty-dominated Bombers lineup.

Francisco Lindor will be just 27 years old going into the 2021 season and is still arguably the best all-around shortstop in baseball. He is a face-of-the-franchise player. Naturally, a player of his caliber would demand a solid return for Cleveland. But what exactly would the Bombers have to give up?

Potential Trade

Here is a potential trade, proposed on MLB Network back in November. A trade for Lindor will likely take at least one compromise for whichever team decides to trade for him. In this situation, it’s giving up Clint Frazier.

Frazier, at 25 years old, has only played 162 total games in the majors but found his role with the Bombers in recent seasons. Since 2019, he has posted an OPS of .845 and hit 20 home runs across 108 games. During the shortened season, he became a regular for the Yankees, playing 36 games in each of the corner outfield positions.

Defense was a massive concern for Frazier in his early seasons and prevented his strong bat from finding its way into the lineup. However, he has made tremendous strides to improve his fielding since 2018. He was worth seven runs above average in the outfield during 2020 and was named a finalist for the AL RF Gold Glove award.

Frazier was originally drafted #5 overall by the Indians in 2013 and came to the Yankees in the trade for Andrew Miller in 2016. New York also received Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller, and J.P. Feyereisen in the deal.

Andujar, like Frazier, is another talented bat that simply does not have a place in the Yanks’ lineup. He finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018, but injuries and defensive woes have kept him from being a consistent force since then. Originally a third baseman, Andujar has played a bit of outfield in recent seasons, in an attempt to find a fit amongst the Bronx Bombers.

Gil and Abreu are both pitchers ranked amongst the Yankees’ top-12 prospects. However, they become more expendable when you consider prospects like Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt are expected to become forces in the starting rotation in the near future.

Then What?

So, let’s say that trade happens. What do the Yankees look like? Across the infield, it would be Urshela, Lindor, Torres, Voit. Gary Sanchez behind the plate, Aaron Hicks in center, and Aaron Judge in right.

In case you didn’t notice, there is no left fielder in that equation. And therein lies the issue. Giancarlo Stanton will likely DH full-time going forward, leaving the Bombers with another hole to fill. So, who fills it?

Mike Tauchman is still on the team, although his horrid 2020 has tempered some expectations for him. Tauchman was phenomenal in 2019, but it remains to be seen if he can maintain that production, or even close to it.

Brett Gardner, a lifetime Yankee, is still a free agent. Although he hit just .223 in the shortened season, he posted a higher OBP and OPS than his career average. Gardner also hit .368 with a homer and 3 RBIs during the 2020 postseason.

The Yankees have also been linked to free agents like Kyle Schwarber and Michael Brantley. Both are left-handed hitting outfielders, but both will come with a price that could prevent the Yankees from bringing in another pitcher. As both James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka are free agents, the starting rotation behind Gerrit Cole is looking rather questionable.

Conclusion: Just Resign D.J.

While this move brings in a superstar player, it also complicates the Yanks’ approach to next season. Resigning DJ will not cost the Yankees any players (although it will cost them financially). Frazier has proven he is ready to start full-time and should be the Bombers’ left-fielder next season. Without creating another hole in the lineup, the Yankees would be free to pursue another starting pitcher.

Basically: please just sign D.J. LeMahieu.