The New York Yankees have been one of the most active teams in baseball this offseason, strengthening their roster with the additions of Cody Bellinger, Devin Williams and Max Fried. Now, MLB rumors have surfaced that the club could be eyeing a two-part move to address one of its remaining needs.
While the Yankees have addressed first base and their starting rotation, while filling the void left by Juan Soto’s departure, there remains a weakness in the lineup. Gleyber Torres signed with the Detroit, leaving a void on the. infield that the club seemingly would prefer DJ LeMahieu not to fill.
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- New York Yankees payroll 2025 (FanGraphs): $284 million
However, the Yankees payroll is fast approaching $300 million and would likely reach that if the club decides to be aggressive this summer at the MLB trade deadline. New York also wants to keep adding to its roster before spring training, which seems to be influencing the wheels currently in motion.
According to Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Yankees front office is eyeing a move to “clear money” this winter with starting pitcher Marcus Stroman among the names being floated in MLB trade rumors. If New York could successfully move Stroman, it would then pursue a move for an infielder.
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However, Rosenthal notes that it would not be a “particularly high-priced” infielder. While Yankees rumors surfaced in January that New York had interest in a trade for All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez, talks with the San Diego Padres went nowhere.
If the Yankees can move off Stroman’s contract, paying down a portion of his salary, there is one infielder who is still on their radar. Mark Sanchez of the New York Post reported on Jan.7 7 that the Yankees have checked in on free-agent hitter Jorge Polanco.
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Polanco, age 31, struggled this past season with the Seattle Mariners. He recorded just a .213/.296/.355 triple-slash line in 417 at-bats, hitting 16 home runs and 11 doubles with a .651 OPS. Before that, however, the switch-hitter sported a .796 OPS with a .255/.333/.462 line from 2021-’23.
While he only played second base for the Mariners in 2024, Polanco has previously appeared at third base (24 games) and shortstop (501 games) for the Minnesota Twins. Coming off knee surgery, however, he’s likely to only be an option at second base next season.
