Could a former Yankees villain be the solution to the team’s infield problem?

Gleyber Torres' potential departure in free agency combines with DJ LeMahieu's age-related decline to leave the New York Yankees searching for infield help this offseason. No solution is too far outside the box for GM Brian Cashman and his staff to consider, especially considering how the 2024 season ended.

That reality causes Joel Sherman of the New York Post to speculate that the Yankees might match up well with the Twins in a potential trade, although New York fans won't love the name: infielder Carlos Correa. The former Astros star is the victim of boos whenever he visits Yankee Stadium after his role in Houston's 2017 scandalous World Series team. But all could be forgiven if he produces in pinstripes in 2025.

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Should the Yankees consider a trade for Carlos Correa?

Correa is a poor fit for this version of Minnesota's squad due to his salary and injury history. The Twins already struggle to compete with Byron Buxton's and Royce Lewis' lack of availability. Offloading a third injury-prone star would permit their front office to devote resources to players who might be able to participate in more games.

The Yankees are in a position to soak up Correa's stints on the Injured List because of their options in the infield. LeMahieu is not the player he was back in his prime but he can still reasonably fill in everywhere in the infield other than shortstop. Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera give manager Aaron Boone two more cheap infield options who can play around the dirt, as can Jazz Chisholm Jr.

The big question regarding the Yankees' potential interest in Correa is whether or not he's willing to move to third base. He's primarily played shortstop during his professional career but he was willing to move to the hot corner to play alongside friend Francisco Lindor before he failed a physical with the New York Mets. It's possible he would be willing to make the same sacrifice to move to the Bronx and play for a contender.

The big fly in the ointment here is that Correa is overpaid. That may be a non-starter for the Yankees unless Minnesota is willing to take back bad salary in return. Cashman knows he needs to save every dollar he can to give Juan Soto the massive salary he is looking for in free agency. Taking on Correa's salary might be even more of a concern for New York than taking the public relations hit of bringing in one of the fan base's most hated players.