MLB Rumors: DJ LeMahieu Predicted to Sign With NL Team

April 08, 2026 ,
New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu runs after hit during 2026 game.

The New York Mets have a habit of picking up ex-Yankees, and FanSided's Christopher Kline thinks they're about to do it again. 

His prediction: New York signs DJ LeMahieu on a veteran's minimum deal to give their infield some defensive cover behind Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco. 

The Yankees are still paying LeMahieu $22 million, so if this happens, New York's rival would technically be funding one of their own players. 

Hard to imagine the Mets front office wouldn't find some humor in that.

What LeMahieu Actually Brings at 37

He's not the player he was in 2020, when he won a batting title and finished second in AL MVP voting.

In 45 games last year before the Yankees cut him, LeMahieu hit .266 with a .674 OPS, and his 51.4 percent hard-hit rate was oddly promising given how little he had to show for it. 

The bat probably isn't coming back in any meaningful way at this point. What he does offer is defense. Four Gold Gloves across second base and third base, and Kline thinks that he'd actually be an upgrade over both Bichette and Polanco with a glove in hand. 

For a team that signed Bichette for $126 million and needs him healthy for the long haul, having someone who can give him a breather without the defense falling apart isn't a bad thing at all. 

Why the Mets Make Sense and What the Price Tag Is

The Mets are 5-4 and sitting second to last in the NL East with the season barely underway, so depth moves aren't exactly a crisis right now. 

But the infield has a real defensive question mark, Brett Baty is the primary DH, and the roster could use another experienced option who doesn't cost anything significant. 

LeMahieu, on a veteran's minimum is essentially a free trial. If he still has something left, great. If not, it's not a contract anyone loses sleep over, especially when the Yankees are absorbing the real money. 

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images 

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