Yanks finalize LeMahieu's 6-year deal

January 27th, 2021

The Yankees repeatedly said that re-signing DJ LeMahieu was their top winter priority. The months-long stalemate between the club and their top position player has reached a conclusion.

The Yankees signed LeMahieu to a six-year deal through the 2026 season, the club announced on Wednesday. It is expected to be worth $90 million, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The team has not confirmed the value of the deal.

With an average annual value of $15 million, the six-year pact provides the Yankees with relief as they aim to bring payroll below the $210 million luxury tax threshold this season.

LeMahieu maintained that his preference was to continue playing in New York. According to recent reports, LeMahieu had grown impatient with negotiations to re-sign with the Yankees, telling his agent to reach out to other teams who had expressed interest, including the Blue Jays, Red Sox, Dodgers and Mets.

The 32-year-old has hit .336/.386/.536 in 195 games with the Yankees over the past two seasons. He led the American League in batting average (.364), on-base percentage (.421) and OPS (1.011) in 2020, and he finished third in the AL MVP Award voting after a fourth-place finish in 2019 in his first season with New York.

General manager Brian Cashman had said that LeMahieu’s situation was “driving the bus” in the Yankees’ offices.