4 infielders the New York Yankees should consider, 2 they should avoid

Over the past few months, Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman has been entrenched in a thorough search for a viable infielder. Thus far, he has inquired about Brendan Rodgers, Ha-Seong Kim, Luis Arraez, Nolan Arenado and Alex Bregman among other names that we can’t confirm. Unfortunately, the best rumored infielder, Alex Bregman, has been dismissed for his price tag and his fit in Yankee Stadium. Luis Arraez, while maybe not fully dismissed as an option, is among the worst defensive infielders and ranks low on Cashman’s list.

Cashman is also out on Nolan Arenado, who might have done well to boost offensive production for the Yankee batting order and bolster their infield defensive alignment. But while some of the top available options on the market might not be in their future, let’s take a look at some of the best and worst feasible ideas to solve the Yankees’ irksome infield problem.

To better illustrate their fit in Yankee Stadium, we’ll review each player’s number of at-bats, 2024 home run total and expected home run total in Yankee Stadium (xHR, Statcast metric from Baseball Savant that counts the number of home runs a player would have collected if every game were held in a particular ballpark). Let’s start with the best of the rumor mill.

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Infielders the Yankees should consider:

4. Geraldo Perdomo

• ABs: 337 HR: 3 xHR: 4

Geraldo Perdomo is coming off an injury-hampered season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2024, Perdomo slashed a productive .273/.344/.374/.718 with three home runs in 337 at-bats. The D-Backs' switch-hitting shortstop isn’t known for staggering power, but his contact-hitting capabilities and command of the strike zone are worth a look.

Perdomo rarely whiffs, chases or strikes out but draws walks at a very high rate. His on-base percentages the past two years stood at .353 and .344 which could be a silent weapon in the Yankees’ lineup. Perdomo has also seen some success on the basepaths stealing 34 bases in 41 attempts over his career.

Perdomo has seen time at second base and at third, but is primarily a shortstop. As a plus defender, he would be a decent candidate to replace Gleyber Torres.

With Jordan Lawlar set for his second callup sometime next season, Perdomo’s position at shortstop will likely be given to Lawlar. When this happens, the Diamondbacks will no room on the infield for their one-time All-Star. This makes Perdomo an enticing trade chip. Perdomo is owed $2.55 million next season and is signed through 2027. 

3. Ha-Seong Kim

• ABs: 403 HR: 11 xHR: 10

Free agent Ha-Seong Kim is best known for his glove work. Kim was among the top infield defenders in Korea before landing in San Diego. In 2023, he won a Gold Glove with the Padres while showcasing prowess both at the plate and on the basepaths. That year, Kim garnered an on-base percentage of .351 while hitting 17 home runs and stealing 38 bases in 47 attempts.

Unfortunately, 2024 wasn’t so kind to Kim. In a season cut short by injury, Kim slashed .233/.330/.370/.700 with 11 home runs. One bright spot was his walk rate which ranked in the elite 90th percentile. He rarely whiffed or chased and didn’t strike out very often. There is a good chance he will bounce back next season. However, we may need to wait.

Given his injury last season, he is expected to miss the start of the 2025 season. On the plus side, this might make him more affordable for the Yankees. His contact hitting skills, plate discipline and speed would make him a triple threat for the Yankees and potentially provide them with a decent leadoff hitter ahead of Aaron Judge, something they don’t currently have.

2. Jeff McNeil

• ABs: 424 HR: 12 xHR: 19
  

Jeff McNeil is coming off the worst season of career slashing .238/.308/.384/.692 with 12 home runs in 424 at-bats for the New York Mets. Unfortunately, not long after his numbers started back on the uptrend, he fell on the IL. But before we dismiss McNeil as a former batting champion utility player whose stats are headed in the wrong direction, we should take a look at his home/away splits.

McNeil hit a respectable .279 with 10 home runs while on the road. While hitting at home, he posted a lowly .199 with two home runs. It is clear, given his splits, that McNeil would greatly benefit from playing in a different environment. McNeil, known for his slap hitting approach that typically results in a high batting average, might find an ideal home in the Bronx. At Yankee Stadium, his left-handed swing could produce home run totals above 20 annually, something he’s only done once.

Last season, as evinced by his low on-base percentage, McNeil didn’t draw very many walks. Taking free bases has never truly been a part of his game. He’s more of a contact-hitter who rarely strikeouts out. But with the combination of his contact-hitting approach and his home run potential in the Bronx, he has a good chance of transforming the Yankee lineup.

For the Mets, unloading McNeil, who does poorly in their ballpark, would clear some salary and allow several of their young, talented players in the minors to advance. McNeil is owed $15.75 million for each of the next two years and comes with a club option for 2027 at the same price. 

1. Brendan Donovan

• ABs: 587 HR: 14 xHR: 19

The status of Brendan Donovan’s availability is unclear, but an arbitration tiff with the St. Louis Cardinals have clouded his future with the Redbirds in uncertainty. The Cardinals are in the middle of what appears to be a lost offseason. Attempts to selloff have gone very slowly with the sudden stagnation of trade chip Nolan Arenado’s market. Trading Donovan, who is under control through 2027 and will make only $3.3 million if he wins arbitration, may not be the smartest move for the Cardinals since he is one of their few remaining productive players, but given that John Mozeliak doesn’t want to pay him and the Cardinals are looking for to rebuild, the Yankees could pounce on the opportunity to land a cheap infielder with a Gold Glove and an impactful bat.

Donovan won a Gold Glove as a utility player in his rookie year of 2022. He has spent most of his time in left field but has played second base almost as much. He can slot in at either second or third for the Yankees.

Last season, he slashed .278/.342/.417/.759 with 14 home runs. His left-handed bat in Yankee Stadium will also boost his home run total giving him a shot at 20 home runs. Donovan rarely whiffs and doesn’t chase much, but he doesn’t draw many walks. His strikeout percentage is impeccable and his ability to square the ball is among the best. As a high contact hitter who squares the ball as frequently as he does, he will be breakout candidate to watch next season. If they can trade for him, he might give the Yanks a valuable edge over the rest of the AL for the coming years.

Infielders the Yankees should avoid:

2. Jorge Polanco

• ABs: 417 HR: 16 xHR: 16

The Yankees have had great success with a player named Jorge in the past, but free agent Jorge Polanco doesn’t seem to be a favorable bet. The 31-year-old has seen much better days in his past.

In 2024, Polanco slashed a meager .213/.296/.355/.651 with 16 home runs. Since hitting 33 home runs in 2021, it has been mostly downhill for Polanco. His walk rate is still healthy, but whiff rate was high in 2024 and his strikeout rate was staggering. His sprint speed, while above average, hasn’t resulted in much success on the basepaths. In all fairness to Polanco, he played through an injury last season that eventually required surgery. This could explain the poor numbers. But there is another reason not to bet on Polanco.

The main reason Cashman has moved on from Gleyber Torres would be his lackluster defense. Polanco’s -8 outs above average last season at second base was worse than Torres’ -5. His defensive metrics both in 2024 and over his career are the worst of any player on this list by far.

Given these poor numbers came in an injury-hampered season, Polanco may recover to a certain degree. He is a bounce-back candidate, but this shouldn’t be a gamble the Yankees are willing to take.

1. Brendan Rodgers

• ABs: 501 HR: 13 xHR: 10

Cashman’s interest in free agent Brendan Rodgers is as a Gold Glove defender. Rodgers won a Gold Glove in 2022, but his defensive metrics have been on the slide posting -3 OOA last season. Is that deal-killer? No, not by any margin. In 2024, Rodgers slashed .267/.314/.407/.721 with 13 home runs with the Rockies.

At a glance, Rodgers seems like a decent fit. Unfortunately, upon further inspection, his splits are alarming. At home, Rodgers hit .328 with nine home runs. On the road, his stat line suffered hitting .214 with only four home runs. Outside the most-hitter friendly field in baseball, Rodgers does not do well. And in the Bronx, his right-handed swing will result in fewer home runs than in Colorado.

Rodgers strikes out more than the MLB average, draws very few walks, but does hit the ball hard more times than on average which is the one sign of promise in his otherwise rather dismal metrics. His speed is also a negative. In his six-year career, he has stolen one base which came last year.

At the moment, Rodgers makes no sense for the Yanks. If they are going to acquire him, it should only be as a backup infielder.