RUMOR: YANKEES GIVE DJ LEMAHIEU A CHEAP OFFER

We all know this is a perfect match. The Yankees want DJ LeMahieu back in a Yankees uniform, and DJ wants to be back in a Yankees uniform. It's a fact, so let's get it done already. It's the Christmas gift all Yankee fans are waiting for.

But it sounds like we are going to have to wait just a little bit longer, even though we really don't want to. Jeff Passan was on Michael Kay's show this week, you can listen HERE. Passan confirms that the Yankees have reached out, "the first offer that was made last week by the New York Yankees to DJ LeMahieu is not going to get it done. It was….underwhelming is the word that I was told."

Underwhelming. That's not what Yankee fans want to hear right now, but I don't think it is time to panic yet. It's just a good example of a negotiation and this isn't unusual. The Yankees and DJ have a mutual interest in each other. I still believe that at the end of the day DJ will accept an offer from the Yankees.

I also believe that DJ will be the first big free agent to sign this winter instead of J.T. Realmuto or Trevor Bauer and I think this will happen before Christmas. It's just a gut feeling I have. Baseball is in a tough holding pattern right now. We sill don't know what 2021 will bring as we still deal with this pandemic. Will we have fans in the stands this coming season? I hope so, and so do all owners. When DJ signed his 2-year deal with the Yankees he waited until January to sign. I don't think he wants to wait that long again. I think he wants to sign early, especially with how slow the market has been so far.

The Yankees will have to outbid other teams, and right now The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets are also very interested in DJ. Both teams are more willing to spend money this winter compared to other teams, but I'm not going to stress. The Mets are supposedly close to a deal with James McCann, and the Blue Jays have options for DJ at either second or third base but at the end of the day I'm not going to stress too much.

The Yankees know how important DJ is to this team and I don't think they will let him go easily in this market. You don't let a talent like DJ just walk away. The Yankees may be more conservative with their money this winter, but they know just how valuable he is. Smaller budget or not, the Yankees don't want to be outbid for their MVP.

DJ said no the first offer, and the Yankees didn't start with their best and final offer....so this "no" does not mean that the Yankees are being cheap and it doesn't mean that DJ isn't coming back. Don't panic yet.

  --Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

     BYB Managing Editor

    Twitter: @nyprincessj