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Inside The Pinstripes

Potential New York Yankees Third Base Target Agrees To Deal With San Diego Padres

Someone the New York Yankees could have added to their third base mix is now off the board following his agreement with the San Diego Padres.
Oct 13, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets second base Jose Iglesias (11) takes the field before game one of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium
Oct 13, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets second base Jose Iglesias (11) takes the field before game one of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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The New York Yankees have a problem at third base brewing.

DJ LeMahieu, the player who was expected to get the Opening Day starting nod, is now dealing with another injury that could sideline him for some time since his recovery timetable has yet to be determined.

That leaves the duo of Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera to battle it out, two underwhelming options for everyday play considering what they have done during their careers to this point.

Not addressing third base was always a risky proposition for the Yankees, and with LeMahieu already injured at this point of the spring, those fears immediately came to light.

Trading for Nolan Arenado continues to be a talking point, but there's been no indication that New York is willing to part with the assets necessary to acquire him or pay even a partial amount of the money owed to the future Hall of Famer over the next three years.

One of the outside options in free agency who was seen as a possible target was Jose Iglesias.

The former New York Mets infielder, who was a key part in the turnaround for the crosstown rivals last season, could have been added on an affordable deal. And with an injury to LeMahieu occurring, signing the veteran could have been the direction they took.

However, that is no longer a possibility for the Yankees.

As first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided, Iglesias agreed to a deal with the San Diego Padres. Jon Heyman of The New York Post later added it's a contract that would be worth $3 million if he reaches the Majors, plus another $1 million in incentives.

Iglesias isn't a gamechanger by any means.

But he's a 12-year veteran who is coming off a resurgent season where he produced an OPS+ of 137 while slashing .337/.381/.448 across his 85 games and 291 plate appearances, resulting in a bWAR of 3.1.

Now, New York almost assuredly will enter the upcoming campaign with the current trio of options in place, even with LeMahieu already dealing with an injury.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai