The Yankees Have to Improve the Infield This Winter

Chisholm, who just won a Silver Slugger at second base, and Rice (who perhaps should have also won a Silver Slugger) already have the right side locked up. At shortstop and third, things aren’t as great; Volpe is coming off, in many aspects, the worst year of his career, and McMahon’s bat remains a liability in spite of his Gold Glove defense. New York’s offense got completely exposed in the postseason against the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, and a collective cold streak from the infield was a big reason why they couldn’t advance past the Division Series.

Yankees Must Try to Improve Infield This Offseason

Running It Back

The Yankees could run it back with their current infield and be okay, but why should they settle for being simply okay? This year’s free agent class is not insanely talented at shortstop/third base, but even adding just one elite hitter could make a world of difference. This would be especially true if the Yankees aren’t successful in either bringing back Cody Bellinger or signing the extremely coveted Kyle Tucker.

First off, it’s important to note that by all accounts, the Yankees are still all-in on Anthony Volpe. General manager Brian Cashman attributed his defensive collapse and .663 OPS to the torn labrum that he suffered in May. But, it’s important to note that at the time, the organization was fervent in that it was nothing serious. In an attempt to save face and retain their confidence in their struggling shortstop, Volpe kept the starting job at shortstop. New York also has Jose Caballero, a trade deadline acquisition who looked much better than Volpe when he was given adequate playing time. It’s almost a guarantee that either Volpe or Caballero will start at shortstop next year; rather, it is third base that could potentially be up for grabs.

Potential of Platoon

McMahon slashed .208/.308/.333 with the Yankees and Colorado Rockies last season, racking up a 2.3 brWAR. As bad as his slash line was, he remains an above-replacement level player thanks to his superb fielding skills. However, with a couple of solid third basemen hitting the open market, New York might consider either replacing McMahon or signing another bat to platoon with him. One name that comes to mind is Munetaka Murakami, a Japanese player currently with NPB’s Yakult Swallows, who will be available for teams to sign this winter. He is a strong power hitter who could platoon beautifully with McMahon.

Other third basemen who are hitting free agency include Alex Bregman, Eugenio Suárez, Paul DeJong, and Yoán Moncada. The thing about, say, Bregman or Suárez, is that they could not platoon with McMahon: they would have to start. This doesn’t make the Yankees any more eager to sign a big name to play third. Rather, the Yankees should, at least, go out and grab a utility bat as a secondary option off the bench. They cannot rely on Caballero alone, especially if he ends up taking over at shortstop for Volpe (no matter how unlikely that is to happen).

The Last Word

At the end of the day, if the Yankees want to field another high-powered offense that has depth, they’ll have to bring in one, if not more, infielders to bulk up the left side. Their weak bats at third and shortstop were completely exposed in the postseason, so if they want to avoid another quick exit, they must go out and acquire the talent to make a real postseason run.