New York Yankees

Yankee Stadium is soon to join Citi Field as a mass COVID-19 vaccination site in New York City, according to Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media.

The Yankees confirmed the team is in the "final stages" to host vaccinations as doses continue to roll out nationwide.

"The New York Yankees reached out several months ago to both New York City and New York State to offer Yankee Stadium as a potential vaccination host location," a team spokesman told Kuty. "Ongoing dialogue resulted in a call earlier today from New York City officials to the Yankees organization, and we are currently working with city representatives to finalize details that will enable us to utilize Yankee Stadium as a vaccination site. We are gratified knowing that Yankee Stadium will serve our community in such a vital and meaningful way."

Earlier on Tuesday, NYC mayor Bill de Blasio announced Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, will begin distributing vaccines 24 hours per day by the end of January. De Blasio said "even Yankees fans" would be welcomed at Citi Field.

Soon they may be able to get a dose at their own ballpark as more and more stadiums begin to transform into vaccination hubs.

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti announced Monday that Dodger Stadium would begin distributing vaccinations by the end of the week with a capacity for 12,000 shots per day. The home of the Los Angeles Dodgers has previously been used as a COVID-19 testing site.

According to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center, the Bronx had the sixth-highest death toll among United States counties at 5,208. Queens County, where Citi Field is located, ranks fourth on the list with 7,664 deaths.

Los Angeles tops the list in both confirmed cases (932,697) and deaths (12,387).

The New York Yankees thought they were taking a smart approach to DJ LeMahieu's free agency, touting their "wait-and-see" methods to keeping the infielder in town.  

But LeMahieu has reportedly become "dismayed" by the Yankees' tactics, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports.

LeMahieu is one of the hottest players on the free-agent market with a number of teams—including the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers—interested in adding his talents to their roster.

According to Brown, LeMahieu is expecting a contract "at least on par" with the one J.D. Martinez signed with the Boston Red Sox, and that was worth $110 million over five years.

While he wants to stay in New York, the Yankees have not been willing to agree to terms he is satisfied with, and he has given the approval for his representatives to open conversations with interested teams, including the Dodgers, Blue Jays and New York Mets, as well as the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox.

The 32-year-old entered free agency following a pair of strong seasons in the Bronx. He was crowned the American League batting champion this season, becoming the first player in the modern era to win the award in both leagues. He hit .364 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI and 41 runs through 50 games in the shortened 2020 season. He earned his second Silver Slugger award in as many years and finished third in MVP voting. 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has noted LeMahieu is the Yankees' "No. 1 priority to bring back this winter," but now it appears their approach has damaged their relationship with their star.

Kyle Schwarber said he briefly spoke to the New York Yankees about potentially signing with the team before agreeing to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Washington Nationals on Saturday.

"I guess there was some interest there, there were some talks there early on, just checking in, things like that, seeing where I was at," Schwarber said of the Yankees, per Peter Botte of the New York Post. "But nothing really came to fruition there."

There was some speculation New York would add the powerful left-handed bat to the lineup, but even general manager Brian Cashman said in December it was unlikely because of the lack of space at designated hitter.

"Schwarber's fantastic...but I'd say it's a safer bet to play on Giancarlo Stanton remaining mostly in the DH role just because of the health history," Cashman said, per Anthony Rieber of Newsday.

If New York showed more interest, it seems like the slugger would have given the team consideration.

"Obviously, the Yankees are the Yankees, and it would have been entertaining to hear what would have happened there and see if something could have happened," he said Saturday. "But it didn't, and I'm really happy where I'm at."

The 27-year-old is coming off a rough 2020 with the Chicago Cubs, hitting .188 in 59 games. Even with 11 home runs, his .701 OPS was the worst of his five seasons in the majors with at least three games played.

The Cubs non-tendered him in the offseason, leading to free agency a year earlier than expected.

Schwarber will have a chance to bounce back on a one-year deal in Washington, hoping to remind teams of the player who was a key part of the Cubs' World Series win in 2016. He isn't too far removed from a strong 2019 season where he hit 38 home runs with 92 RBI and a .871 OPS.

The Yankees would have obviously loved that type of production in 2021, but a healthy Stanton—plus the presumed rotation of Gary Sanchez, Luke Voit and others at DH—left no room for the free-agent addition.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor is headed from Cleveland to New York—to join the Mets, but he nearly could have ended up in pinstripes. 

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees asked what it would take to get Lindor away from Cleveland as they made contingency plans in case D.J. LeMahieu elects to move on in free agency. 

Lindor was dealt to the Mets alongside Carlos Carrasco in a trade that sent Amed Rosario, Andres Gimenez, Josh Wolf and Isaiah Greene to Cleveland. 

The 27-year-old slashed .258/.335/.415 with eight home runs last season, following up a 2019 campaign that saw him hit .284 with 32 home runs and 32 steals.

With four consecutive All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards and two Gold Gloves before the shortened 2020 campaign, he was a major piece of Cleveland's recent success, which included three division titles and a postseason appearance last season. 

The Yankees have held firm in their desire to re-sign LeMahieu, with manager Aaron Boone telling reporters in December that the 32-year-old infielder was the team's "top priority" this offseason. The two sides were reportedly more than $25 million apart in contract negotiations last month. 

Per Sherman, the team is "committed to seeing it through with LeMahieu even as other options ... come off the board." 

But they'll need to act quickly if they want to compete with their neighbors this season. According to Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media, both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers are also interested in LeMahieu, with the defending World Series champions looking to add LeMahieu if Justin Turner moves on in free agency. 

Amid rumors that other teams are seriously pursuing free-agent second baseman DJ LeMahieu, the New York Yankees are taking a unique approach to their quest to re-sign the infielder. 

"The Yankees knew that DJ LeMahieu was a quality player and other teams will have interest in him, but there's also a level that they will go to try and bring him back," Yankees reporter Jack Curry said on YES Network (h/t Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media). "In speaking to someone from the organization recently, they said they're in a 'wait-and-see mode.'"

The 32-year-old LeMahieu enters the market off of two strong seasons in New York, where he had a 2019 worthy of a fourth-place MVP finish and won the American League batting title this year, becoming the first player in the modern era to win the award in both leagues. 

The 10-year MLB veteran, who played with the Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies before joining the Yankees, hit .364 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI and 41 runs through 50 games in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, earning his second Silver Slugger award in as many years and finishing third in MVP voting. 

Among the teams reportedly in pursuit of the star are the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays, per Miller. 

But the Yankees have previously been outspoken about their commitment to the star. Manager Aaron Boone told reporters in December that LeMahieu was the team's "No. 1. priority to bring back this winter." 

Bob Klapisch of NJ.com reported that LeMahieu is hoping for a five-year contract worth $125 million, a report that NJ.com's Brendan Kuty added fuel to when he suggested that the player and team were separated by more than $25 million. 

On Tuesday, Miller reported LeMahieu was down to $110 million, though there was still a price gap between the two sides, with the Yankees offering $84 million over four years. 

With a slow-moving free agency that entered the new year with LeMahieu and other top free agents, including pitcher Trevor Bauer and catcher J.T. Realmuto, still unsigned, Curry said the Yankees are holding back.

Without LeMahieu, the team would have a major hole to fill in the infield. 

The New York Yankees have two key free-agent questions to address this offseason with DJ LeMahieu and Masahiro Tanaka.

Per Randy Miller of NJ.com, LeMahieu remains New York's "first priority," and he "prefers" to remain with the team.

Miller added: "The Yanks also have interest in keeping Tanaka, but that may not be possible if they re-sign LeMahieu and plan on staying under next season's $210-million luxury tax threshold."

The Yankees are already up against MLB's $210 million competitive balance tax with neither player under contract. Spotrac estimates their tax allocations are currently at $209,709,524 in 2021.

It's been a running theme since the season ended that LeMahieu and the Yankees hope to remain together.

"I think it's no secret that he is probably our No. 1 priority to bring back this winter," manager Aaron Boone told reporters earlier this month. "I know [GM Brian Cashman] is working on that. And hopefully, at the end of all this, DJ is a Yankee for a long time."

The issue seems to be the length and value of the contract. Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reported Dec. 13 there's more than a $25 million difference between what LeMahieu wants and the Yankees' proposal of $75 million over four years.

LeMahieu has finished in the top four of American League MVP voting the past two seasons. The 32-year-old led MLB with a .364 batting average and the AL with a .421 on-base percentage and 1.011 OPS in 2020.

Tanaka didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Yankees, so there won't be any draft compensation attached to him if he signs with another team. The Japanese star has spent his entire seven-year MLB career in New York. He posted a 3.56 ERA in 10 starts last season.

Trading for Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor is reportedly not priority No. 1 for the New York Yankees.

According to Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, "there haven't been any talks recently regarding the Yankees and Lindor" in large part because the Bronx Bombers view bringing back DJ LeMahieu as their top priority.

"It's possible they could pivot toward the Indians shortstop if something for LeMahieu falls through," Kuty wrote.

That means New York fans could be waiting for a while for something to happen along either front, as Kuty also reported the Yankees and LeMahieu aren't exactly close on a deal and were more than $25 million apart in recent discussions.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the American League East team is focused on bringing back the second baseman.

After all, he is a three-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glover, two-time Silver Slugger and two-time batting title winner who slashed .364/.421/.590 with 10 home runs and 27 RBI during the shortened 2020 campaign. He has been a critical part of the team's lineup the past two years even if he doesn't generate as many headlines as Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

Still, Lindor would be quite the addition for the Yankees or any team.

He is a four-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glover who is just 27 years old. The shortstop is one of the best two-way players of his generation and would represent arguably the biggest prize of the entire offseason for a club that was able to acquire him via trade.

Lindor is under contract with Cleveland through the 2021 campaign, so the team could look to move him before potentially losing him to free agency without a return package.

It just seems like the Yankees aren't focused on joining those bidding battles for right now.

The New York Yankees still want to re-sign DJ LeMahieu, but Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reported Friday the two sides aren't any closer to a deal.

Kuty added this saga could continue until MLB clarifies its plans for the 2021 season, including the start of spring training and whether fans will be in the stands. 

Until the Yankees know how much revenue they will generate in the upcoming year, they remain over $25 million apart from LeMahieu's camp for a potential deal, as Kuty previously reported.

The second baseman reportedly wants $100 million over five years while New York is looking at a four-year deal worth $75 million.

The Yankees won't have forever to wait on LeMahieu, who reportedly has plenty of other suitors on the open market.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the New York Mets recently contacted the versatile player. The Athletic's MLB staff connected him to several other teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.

The Yankees got excellent value when they first signed LeMahieu in 2019 on a two-year, $24 million deal. He came through with a .336 average across the two seasons, adding 36 home runs, 129 RBI and a .922 OPS in 195 games.

He also provided plenty of help defensively while lining up at first base, second base and third base during his two years.

It was enough to finish in the top five of MVP voting in each season.

The Yankees will be careful not to overpay for the 32-year-old but might not want to wait too long to lock him down.

As second baseman DJ LeMahieu continues to negotiate with teams for a new contract, the three-time All-Star's reported asking price has been revealed. 

Per Bob Klapisch of NJ.com, LeMahieu is seeking a contract worth $125 million over five years from the New York Yankees. 

Klapisch noted the Yankees aren't budging off their stance right now because "a) no one in the organization wants to commit to a fifth year and b) the Yankees would be bidding against themselves."

There has been speculation that the Yankees and LeMahieu were far apart in their contract talks.

Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reported last week that the two sides were more than $25 million apart, with the Yankees offering $75 million over four years. 

Kuty added there "seems no rush" for either side to give in to the other because of the possibility that spring training could be delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Yankees have made it clear they want LeMahieu back. 

"It's no secret that (LeMahieu) is our No. 1 priority," manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Tuesday. "Hopefully, at the end of all this, DJ is a Yankee for a long time."

LeMahieu has finished in the top four of American League MVP voting in each of the past two seasons. The 32-year-old led Major League Baseball with a .364 batting average in 2020 and led the AL with a .421 on-base percentage and 1.011 OPS. 

Amid reports that the New York Yankees and DJ LeMahieu are far apart in contract talks, manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that bringing back the All-Star second baseman is important for the franchise.

Speaking to SNY, Boone said it's "no secret" that re-signing LeMahieu is the club's "No. 1 priority" this offseason:

One consistent message from the Yankees this offseason has been how much they want to bring LeMahieu back. The feeling seems to be mutual, as he said throughout the 2020 season. 

"I want to stay here. I’ve said that a few times," LeMahieu told Brendan Kuty of NJ.com in September. "You never know how it goes. I thought I was going to stay in Colorado and I didn’t. So, obviously, I’m hoping to be back here. You just never know how it goes."

Kuty reported on Sunday that LeMahieu and the Yankees are more "than $25 million" apart in their negotiations. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic added that both sides will keep talking, but LeMahieu "also plans to start engaging with other teams."

New York doesn't have an exorbitant payroll heading into next season. The team is currently projected to spend $166.185 million in player salaries for 2021, per Spotrac.

LeMahieu, 32, has been arguably New York's most valuable player over the past two seasons. He led the AL with a .364 average, .421 on-base percentage and 1.011 OPS en route to finishing third in MVP voting in 2020.