Yankees agree to deal with infielder LeMahieu
NEW YORK >> Gold Glove-winning free-agent second baseman D.J. LeMahieu and the Yankees have agreed to a $24 million, two-year contract, a deal that would appear to eliminate New York as a destination for Manny Machado.
The 30-year-old LeMahieu spent the previous eight seasons with Colorado at hitter-friendly Coors Field and won the NL batting title in 2016 with a .348 average. He hit .276 last year with 15 homers and 62 RBIs, and he won his second straight Gold Glove and third overall.
New York was seeking infielders in the absence of shortstop Didi Gregorius, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is not expected back until summer. The Yankees signed former Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki last week and said he will be their starting shortstop. LeMahieu likely will see time at second, third and possibly even first.
Britton prefers setup role
Zach Britton preferred to be a setup man for Aroldis Chapman on rather than close for a team less likely to win.
“I had been closer and I knew that I could do that at a high level. I felt like it wasn’t something I needed to prove myself,” Britton said after finalizing a contract that guarantees him $39 million over three seasons and could be worth $53 million for four years.
Britton said he had offers from clubs that wanted him as a closer. A two-time All-Star, he led the AL with 47 saves in 2016.
“I wanted to go back to a team that was going to win year in, year out,” the 31-year-old left-hander said. “And if the opportunity wasn’t there for me to close, that was kind of OK. There was only a handful of teams I was willing to do that (for).”
Britton began the season on the disabled list after tearing his right Achilles tendon in December 2017. He made his season debut on June 12 last year and was 1-0 with a 3.45 ERA and four saves in 16 games with the Orioles, then was acquired by the Yankees on July 24. He had a 2.88 ERA and three saves in 25 appearances for New York.
DeGrom gets record raise
NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and the Mets agreed to a $17 million, one-year contract, a record raise for an arbitration-eligible player from his $7.4 million salary.
The deal was agreed to Friday before the pitcher and team were to exchange proposed salaries in arbitration. It also set a mark for a pitcher eligible for arbitration for the third time.
Fellow Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard agreed to a $6 million deal, doubling his salary.
DeGrom led the majors with a 1.70 ERA in 217 innings and was selected to his second All-Star Game. He was fifth in MVP voting after receiving little run support on a fourth-place squad.
The right-hander went 10-9 with 269 strikeouts in 32 remarkably consistent starts for a team that finished 77-85. The 30-year-old can become a free agent after the 2020 season if the Mets don’t sign their electric ace to a multiyear contract by then.
Syndergaard went 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 25 starts last season but had some trouble staying healthy again. The right-hander logged only 30 1/3 innings in 2017 because of a torn lat muscle.