NEW YORK — The writing was on the wall for DJ LeMahieu when manager Aaron Boone said that he would be a bench player for the New York Yankees. A day later, LeMahieu’s seven-year career in pinstripes ended when the Yankees announced Wednesday they had designated him for assignment. He was released from the roster the next day.
The club will owe LeMahieu about $22 million, which includes the rest of his $15 million salary this season, along with $15 million in 2026.
“It’s been a tough couple days, some hard conversations and then ultimately coming to this decision, obviously not easy for what’s been a great player,” Boone said. “He’s done a lot of great things for this organization, but in the end, I feel like this is the right thing to do at this time.”
Boone said LeMahieu did not ask for his release. According to the manager, LeMahieu had a long talk with general manager Brian Cashman on Tuesday night and they talked a couple of times Wednesday.
In LeMahieu’s place, the Yankees have added infielder Jorbit Vivas to the 26-man roster. With Jazz Chisholm Jr. moving over to second base and LeMahieu off the roster, Boone said Oswald Peraza, Vivas and JC Escarra will be the third-base options.
LeMahieu, 36, becomes the fourth notable veteran since 2023 to be placed on waivers by the club, joining Aaron Hicks, Josh Donaldson and Harrison Bader. When the Yankees released Hicks in May 2023, the club owed him $27.6 million — $10 million of which is being paid out this year.
LeMahieu originally signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Yankees in 2019 before agreeing to a six-year, $90 million extension following the shortened 2020 season, in which he finished third in the American League MVP race behind Jose Abreu and José Ramírez. But since then, LeMahieu’s offense has cratered as he’s dealt with several lower-body injuries. His 99 wRC+ since the start of the 2021 season is the 20th-worst among all major-league hitters with at least 2,000 plate appearances.
With LeMahieu no longer having the positional versatility he once possessed, his departure from the Yankees became inevitable. In announcing LeMahieu’s benching Tuesday, Boone said it was a “challenge” physically for him to play third base. This was after the club planned on having LeMahieu be an option to start at the position entering the 2025 season, but a left calf injury sustained in spring training made that no longer possible.
His defense at second base became untenable as he displayed limited range in the middle of the diamond. That left the Yankees no other option but to move Chisholm back to second. On their active roster, the Yankees already have Giancarlo Stanton, who is incapable of playing the field. Having two such players, with LeMahieu being less of a threat offensively than Stanton, proved impossible.
LeMahieu finishes his Yankees career with two top-five MVP finishes, two Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove Award as a utility infielder in 2022.
— The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty contributed to this report.
(Photo: New York Yankees / Getty Images)
