Yankees finalize LeMahieu, Kluber deals, agree with O’Day
NEW YORK — The retooling New York Yankees have finalized a six-year, $90-million contract to retain American League batting champion DJ LeMahieu and completed an $11-million deal to add right-hander Corey Kluber.
The Yankees also reached a one-year, $2.5-million deal with submarining right-handed reliever Darren O’Day.
Combined with the weekend trade to acquire right-hander Jameson Taillon from the Pittsburgh Pirates for four prospects, the moves accomplished many of New York’s off-season goals following the loss to Tampa Bay in last year’s playoffs.
LeMahieu, who turns 33 in July, became the first player to win undisputed batting titles in both leagues. The infielder won his first AL batting title last year, hitting .364, the highest average for an AL batting champion since Minnesota’s Joe Mauer hit .365 in 2009, after winning the National League title with Colorado in ’16.
LeMahieu gets $15 million per season. The deal includes a fullno trade provision during the first two seasons and a limited no-trade provision starting after that giving him the right to block trades to five teams.
A three-time all-star, LeMahieu signed a two-year, $24million contract with the Yankees in January 2019. He had 10 homers and 27 RBIs in the shortened ’20 season after hitting .327 with 26 homers and 102 RBIs in his first season in New York.
LeMahieu started his bigleague career with the Chicago Cubs in 2011, then was traded to Colorado. He has a .305 average with 85 homers and 478 RBIs in 10 big-league seasons, and he has won three Gold Gloves at second base.
Kluber, the ’14 and ’17 AL Cy Young Award winner, won 56 games for Cleveland over the ’16-18 seasons, then missed the rest of the ’19 season after he was hit on the right forearm by a comebacker off the bat of Miami’s Brian Anderson on May 1. He finished 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in seven starts.
Traded after the season to Texas, Kluber tore a muscle in his right shoulder in his Rangers debut on July 26, finishing his season after one inning.
Kluber, who turns 35 on April 10, is a three-time all-star who is 98-58 with a 3.16 ERA in 10 seasons, the first nine with the Indians.
He joins a rotation headed by Gerrit Cole that also is projected to include Deivi Garcia, lefthander Jordan Montgomery and Taillon.
Luis Severino is expected to return at some point this season from Tommy John surgery last Feb. 27 and Domingo German is expected back from a domestic-violence suspension that caused him to miss last season.
O’Day takes the bullpen spot vacated when the Yankees traded right-hander Adam Ottavino to Boston on Monday, a move that cut $7.15 million from New York’s payroll. O’Day figures to join left-hander Zack Britton and right-hander Chad Green as the primary setup men for closer Aroldis Chapman.
O’Day, 38, was 4-0 with a 1.10 ERA in 16 ⁄ innings over 19 1
3 games last year with Atlanta.
He is a 13-year major-league veteran, going 40-19 with a 2.51 ERA and 600 strikeouts and 158 walks in 576 2⁄3 innings for the Los Angeles Angels (2008), New York Mets (’09), Texas (’09-11), Baltimore (’12-18) and Braves (’19-20).