Could Yankees eye Michael Brantley as DJ LeMahieu replacement?

By all accounts, the New York Yankees are committed to bringing second baseman and 2020 Most Valuable Player candidate DJ LeMahieu back on a new contract even though the 32-year-old entered free agency. 

However, the Yankees may already be thinking about a potential replacement if such a reunion isn't in the cards. 

ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted on Thursday afternoon that four-time All-Star outfielder and designated hitter Michael Brantley is on the radar of the Bronx Bombers. Olney added that it's unlikely New York will pay both LeMahieu and Brantley this offseason and also that the club is searching for additional left-handed hitting that could take advantage of the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium. 

Brantley, who turns 34 years old in May, is expected to receive a contract that includes a salary of $17 million per year, as noted by the league's official website. Across 46 regular-season games during the pandemic- shortened campaign, Brantley hit .300 with five home runs, 22 RBI, and a .476 slugging percentage with an .840 OPS as a member of the Houston Astros. 

While Brantley failed to make an All-Star squad for the first time since 2016, the thought of playing in the batter-friendly Yankee Stadium could convince him to sign a short-term deal on a discount so that he can elevate his stats and put pen to paper on the last large contract of his career down the road.