The New York Yankees signed a $ 90 million six-year contract to retain reigning American League batting champion DJ LeMahieu.
On Wednesday, the club also struck an $ 11 million deal to add righthanded Corey Kluber to its ranks, reaching a one-year $ 2.5 million deal with another underwater right-handed reliever Darren O’Day. ball.
Coupled with the deal agreed on Sunday to acquire righthanded Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates for four potential clients, the deals meet many of New York’s goals for this off-season. The Yankees want to improve after being eliminated by Tampa Bay in the previous postseason.
LeMahieu, who turns 33 in July, has been the champion hitter in both competitions. The infielder captured his first AL title last year with an average of .364, the highest for a Young Circuit batting champion since Joe Mauer’s .365 in 2009 with Minnesota.
In 2016, LeMahieu was the Dutch batting champion, with Colorado.
LeMahieu, a three-time All-Star, signed a two-year $ 24 million deal with the Yankees in January 2019. He had 10 home runs and 27 RBI’s during the shortened 2020 season after hitting .327 with 26 homers. And 102 RBI’s during its first season in New York.
Kluber, a winner of the American League Cy Young in 2014 and 17, had 56 wins with Cleveland from 2016 to 2018. He missed the entire 2019 season after being hit in the right forearm on May 1 by a ball connected by Brian Anderson from Miami.
He was 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in seven starts.
Traded to Texas after the season, Kluber tore a muscle in his right shoulder on July 26 during his Rangers debut. His campaign was limited to one inning.
The injury did not require surgery.
O’Day would fill the vacant spot in the bullpen on Monday when the Yankees traded righthanded Adam Ottavino, who will play in Boston. That barter removed $ 7.15 million from the Yankees payroll.