The New York Yankees have been engaged in an offseason-long search for an infielder to replace Gleyber Torres. A top-of-the-order type bat is the one crucial element the Yankee lineup is sorely lacking. But it seems a quality infielder is out of the question for now. Brian Cashman is reluctant to spend on any of the top remaining names on the market unless he can dump Marcus Stroman’s salary.
The Yankees’ will likely head into the season with DJ LeMaheiu, Jorbit Vivas, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza competing for a spot. Jasson Dominguez will most likely slot into the leadoff spot.
With that said, Cashman has added a new infielder and some pitching depth, but neither are the transformational move Yankee fans have been hoping for.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.
Yankees add Braden Shewmake and Owen White, DFA Allan Winans
In a trio of waiver wire-related moves, the Yankees have claimed INF Braden Shewmake from the Royals and RHP Owen White from the Reds. Allan Winans, who was recently claimed off waivers from the Braves, has been DFA’d to make room on the 40-man roster.
Braden Shewmake (age 27) was a first-round pick of the 2019 draft for the Braves. Prior to the cancelled 2020 minor-league season, Shewmake performed exceptionally well in both college and through the minors. Since 2021, his production has suffered. Shewmake is 8-68 in the majors with one home run.
Shewmake has experience at second base, third base and shortstop providing flexibility as infield depth. His bat carries potential if he can bounce-back to his pre-2020 levels of production, but that was long ago.
Owen White (age 25) was a second-round pick of the 2018 draft for the Rangers and was once a top 100 prospect. Like Shewmake, White had significant early minor-league success but has performed poorly down the stretch. He only has seven innings in the majors under his belt and has given up 13 earned runs in that time.
There is some hope White can become an effective bullpen piece in the near future. White’s improved slider adds a new edge to his arsenal, but if he’s going to make the cut, he will need to significantly reduce his walk rate.