The New York Yankees will likely try to add either a third baseman or a second baseman at the MLB trade deadline. If they can get a third baseman, they would then be able to shift Jazz Chisholm back to second, and if they nab a second baseman, Chisholm can stay put at third, where he has excelled.
The problem is that the market is not exactly teeming with enthralling options at either position, and if the Yankees are unable to land Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suarez, they may have to get very creative (and yes, that rules out Nolan Arenado).
On that note, Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently linked New York to a rather pedestrian option: Los Angeles Angels infielder Luis Rengifo.
Rengifo has been brutal this season, slashing .233/.277/.320 with four home runs and 20 RBI over 286 plate appearances. He did hit .300 with a respectable .763 OPS last year, but his lifetime .693 OPS is nothing to write home about.
The Yankees would have to ask themselves whether or not Rengifo even represents a substantial upgrade over DJ LeMahieu, who owns a .250/.326/.328 slash line across 129 trips to the dish in 2025.
The good news is that Rengifo would come cheap, especially given that the 28-year-old is slated to hit free agency next winter. But would he even be worth it for the Bronx Bombers?
Making matters even worse is that Rengifo has been terrible defensively at the hot corner this year, owning a minus-6 DRS. He has been solid at second, however, owning a plus-3 in that category.
The cupboard may be relatively thin, but there will almost surely be better alternatives for the Yanks than Rengifo in the coming weeks … right?
