Yanks finalize LeMahieu's 6-year deal
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The Yankees repeatedly said that re-signing DJ LeMahieu was their top winter priority. The months-long stalemate between the club and their top position player has reached a conclusion.
The Yankees signed LeMahieu to a six-year deal through the 2026 season, the club announced on Wednesday. It is expected to be worth $90 million, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The team has not confirmed the value of the deal.
With an average annual value of $15 million, the six-year pact provides the Yankees with relief as they aim to bring payroll below the $210 million luxury tax threshold this season.
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LeMahieu maintained that his preference was to continue playing in New York. According to recent reports, LeMahieu had grown impatient with negotiations to re-sign with the Yankees, telling his agent to reach out to other teams who had expressed interest, including the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Dodgers and Mets.
The 32-year-old has hit .336/.386/.536 in 195 games with the Yankees over the past two seasons. He led the American League in batting average (.364), on-base percentage (.421) and OPS (1.011) in 2020, and he finished third in the AL MVP Award voting after a fourth-place finish in 2019 in his first season with New York.
General manager Brian Cashman had said that LeMahieu’s situation was “driving the bus” in the Yankees’ offices.