Much like Whit Merrifield could stick around the AL East with reports surfacing this week the Boston Red Sox have shown interest in him, another division rival is looking at Kevin Kiermaier.
In the case of Kiermaier, the New York Yankees are sniffing around for his services.
According to The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner, the Yanks have “discussed” Kiermaier as a potential option in their outfield. It’s not the first time the two sides have been linked, as Kiermaier reportedly expressed he was open to the Yankees potentially pursuing him in free agency back in September.
In early October, Kiermaier half-jokingly said that he would be looking to let Shohei Ohtani “set the market,” and that he would wait to see where the cards fell regarding his playing future in the big leagues.
Undoubtedly, the Jays would at least be open to him after he slashed .265/.322/.419 with eight home runs, 14 stolen bags and a 104 OPS+, up from his 98 career average. While his work at the plate was solid, his fielding was a true boon for the Jays.
He had 18 defensive runs saved this year, the fourth most in the big league, while his teammate in the outfield, Daulton Varsho, finished with 11 more runs. The Jays had one of the best outfields in baseball, even with the latter’s plate struggles being significant this year.
FanGraphs lists Kiermaier as the 18th best free agent in baseball, despite being 34 years old, projecting a two-year, $20-million deal for the center fielder.
MLB Trade Rumors, meanwhile, projects a two-year deal worth six million dollars more per year. Of three writers polled, two predicted he would re-sign in Toronto, while the third expected he would sign with the Yankees.
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