The Toronto Blue Jays have been engaged in talks with free-agent infielder DJ LeMahieu and their interest is said to be “very real,” a source tells Metsmerized.
As the source also noted, Toronto has emerged as a legit contender to sign the reigning AL batting champion, who is reportedly unhappy with the Yankees’ slow negotiating tactics, per Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.
Source: The Toronto Blue Jays have been engaged in talks with free-agent DJ LeMahieu and I’m being told their interest is “very real.” Toronto has emerged as a legit contender to sign the reigning AL batting champ
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) January 11, 2021
Brown reported on Sunday night that LeMahieu has asked his representatives to re-engage with the teams that have shown the most interest during free agency including Toronto, the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers. They also plan on re-connecting with a number of clubs, who showed interest early in the free agent period including the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves and several others. LeMahieu plans on meeting with several teams virtually this week, according to Brown.
For pretty much the entire offseason, the word around the Hot Stove was that LeMahieu desires to stay in the Bronx and the Yankees were prioritizing him, however, talks remain at a standstill, and the 32-year-old is frustrated.
Beyond LeMahieu, the Blue Jays have been linked to a number of top names including George Springer and Francisco Lindor (via trade). But now with Lindor off the table, and with Springer and Toronto currently far apart on money, LeMahieu could very well be a realistic option for the Blue Jays at this point as they are clearly looking to make at least one big splash in a year where the market is slower than a tortoise.
And as for the Mets, while LeMahieu wants to speak with them again, they sound like a team that is moving in a different direction after acquiring Lindor as they still need to add to their starting rotation and address the bullpen and center field.
Back in December, LeMahieu was said to be seeking a five-year, $100 million contract as previously reported by Jack Curry of The YES Network. But as Brown noted on Sunday evening, LeMahieu is looking for a deal that exceeds Josh Donaldson’s four-year, $92 million contract with the Minnesota Twins and at least matches J.D. Martinez’s five-year, $110 million deal.
So, will the Yankees be able to reel in their man, or could he land elsewhere? Regardless of what happens, Metsmerized will have you covered as the plot continues to thicken.
