If you can get into the latter stages of June, look back at the current 10-game stretch in which your team managed to go 5-5, and call that the worst point of the season to date, then you’re in the midst of a pretty darned good year. The Yankees, even after losing their big weekend series to the Dodgers 10 days ago and dropping their last two against the Red Sox this past weekend, stand as the only team in MLB with 50 wins, and still have a 1.5-game lead over the Orioles heading into another big series this week.
A few clunkers is no reason to panic.
Still, with the MLB deadline approaching next month, there is perhaps some heightened urgency to detect and weed out weak spots in the Yankees machine. And clearly, the Yankees are having infield issues.
D.J. LeMahieu has struggled badly since he took over at third base last month, batting .188 to date. Gleyber Torres, after showing some life with a six-game hitting streak, went 0-for-11 in three games in Boston and is back down to hitting .222 for the year.
There could be an answer on the trade market, though: Angels infielder Luis Rengifo.
Luis Rengifo an ‘Under-the-Radar’ Target
Certainly, Rengifo is a name getting some traction on the trade market, and team needs make him an ideal Yankees trade candidate. At The Athletic, beat writer Chris Kirschner, in a post titled, “Three Yankees takeaways: Under-the-radar trade targets who could improve the roster,” wrote that Renfigo was a big-time Yankees fit.
Rengifo did suffer a wrist contusion injury this week, but played on Monday. He has the benefit of experience playing all over the infield.
Here’s what Kirschner wrote:
“Los Angeles Angels third baseman Luis Rengifo would offer New York another high-contact bat who is under team control through next season. Among players with at least 200 plate appearances this season, Rengifo entered Sunday with the seventh-best batting average at .315. His .360 on-base percentage ranks 24th in baseball, ahead of hitters like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Corey Seager. Rengifo has also stolen 18 bases this season, offering speed on the bases with the top of the order hitting behind him.”
Yankees Trade Season Could be Busy
What will be worth monitoring in the coming weeks is how much the Yankees view their infield as a sore spot. Shortstop Anthony Volpe’s spot is set, of course, but all three of the other infield spots have been shaky. Now, with an injury to struggling first baseman Anthony Rizzo likely to keep him out for more than a month, maybe two, the Yankees clearly need to add a player.
Or two. The Yankees could bring in a Rizzo replacement all together by bringing in a low-cost first baseman, and address the problem at second and third base with a combo infielder like Rengifo.
It will be easier to find a serviceable first baseman than it would be to find a quality multi-faceted infielders, and Rengifo is not a great defensive presence. But he can hit–he is a likely All-Star this year–and give the Yankees options if LeMahieu and/or Torres continue to struggle.
The Yankees are, no doubt, the best team in baseball. But there is room for improvement.
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