The New York Yankees need to add an infielder to their roster, or else they’re going to have a gaping hole at third base for the entire 2025 season.
The team lost second baseman Gleyber Torres in free agency. Torres signed a very affordable deal with the Detroit Tigers. That leaves the Yankees with Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and DJ LeMahieu to fight it out for reps at third base.
That’s quite an underwhelming cast of players, considering the loaded talent at every other spot on the diamond in the Bronx. It also doesn’t help that LeMahieu is battling a strained calf and could miss a chunk of time.
The perfect solution to this problem was sitting in free agency up until Wednesday afternoon.
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On Wednesday afternoon, the San Diego Padres signed free-agent infielder Jose Iglesias to a minor league deal with a major league camp invite. If Iglesias makes the big league roster in 2025, he’ll make $3 million for the season.
Iglesias, 35, was a breakout star for the New York Mets in 2024. The veteran infielder, known for his glove and singing voice, slashed an impressive .337/.381/.448 during the 2024 season. He was worth an impressive 3.1 WAR in 85 games.
This would have been the perfect addition for the Yankees, especially if he was willing to sign on a minor league deal. That would leave New York with no pressure to promote him or pay him any big money.
Instead, the Yankees are opting to go with Cabrera, Peraza, and LeMahieu. This decision could come back to bite them in the worst possible way if Iglesias breaks out again and the Yankees struggle to find production at third base.
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