The Yankees made it clear that their activity this offseason was all predicated on whatever happened with DJ LeMahieu, and in fact, since word broke earlier this month that the team has indeed re-upped The Machine, they have also added Corey Kluber, Jameson Taillon, and reportedly Darren O’Day, and dealt Adam Ottavino to Boston.
And like Yankees fans, LeMahieu himself wonders what took so long, calling his free agency period “frustrating” on his re-introductory Zoom call with the media Thursday.
“It’s no secret that I wanted to be back with the Yankees in New York…I don’t understand why it takes so long,” LeMahieu said. “I don’t know why we couldn’t get it done two weeks after the season. It was frustrating at times because it took so long, but I guess that’s the business side and that’s how it is right now. For me, baseball is not a business, but when it turns into one, it’s not always fun. But, I’m just so excited to be back. It’s what I wanted from the beginning, and I was really excited.”
Apparently, several of his teammates had the same wonder.
“I had guys all winter asking, ‘what’s the hold up? What’s the deal?’” LeMahieu said. “I really appreciated that and it means a lot. This clubhouse, it’s an unbelievable group, and that fire’s still burning until we win it all.”
That said, The Machine confirmed the reports that his camp was frustrated and began looking elsewhere before finally inking a six-year, $90 million deal.
“I thought the whole time we could get something done and it wasn’t happening, so I just didn’t know what the heck was going on,” he said. ”I definitely had to consider going other places, even though it would’ve been a really tough page to turn. Thankfully, I didn’t have to and I’m back. For me, it wasn’t necessarily a number, I just wanted to be part of a good fit, and I’m glad it all worked out.”
DJ was disappointed that Masahiro Tanaka has officially gone back to Japan and they won’t be teammates, but he’s all in with the group that is here to try to bring home No. 28 in 2021.
“This is a group I want to be a part of. This is an exciting group,” LeMahieu said. “We need to get over that hump. There’s no secret we need to get over that hump. There’s one goal with the Yankees and that’s to win a World Series. We haven’t been able to do it, but we’re ready, and it’s time. I wanted to be a Yankee, but I wanted to be part of this group even more…and we have some unfinished business.”
That unfinished business is unfinished because of the Tampa Bay Rays, who were responsible for 11 of the Yankees’ 30 losses last season, including the final in in Game 5 of the ALDS – even if LeMahieu doesn’t think they were the better squad.
“I think we ran into a really hot Tampa team,” LeMahieu said. “I thought we were better than they were, I just think they made a couple plays that we didn’t, and that was the bottom line. Moving forward, we gotta make those plays, whatever it is. I just thought last year they had our number, and it was disappointing, and I really think we’re going to get over the hump here. We’ve been through a lot as a team here, and had some tough losses, but I think we’re going to get over the hump.”
They’ll have to do it without two key pitching pieces, but like Yankees fans do, LeMahieu is hoping that Kluber, Taillon, and O’Day can be what the Yankees need to get over that hump.
“Seeing Masa and Otto go is tough, but I think the Yankees have a plan in mind, and I’m really excited to get going with these new guys and get going…I haven’t enjoyed facing them in the past, because they’re really good pitchers,” he said. “The goal here is to win a World Series every year, and I know that’s what the Yankees are doing with these moves.”
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