The New York Yankees have some key issues to address this offseason, with second base being near the top of the list.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was not good this year, and it's unclear if the Yankees will want to pay a premium to keep him around. The reality is, they should let him walk and explore more consistent options at second base. Perhaps the best option is Luis Arraez.
Arraez made huge improvements defensively this season and was actually one of the best defenders at second base in baseball. That alone should be attractive to the Yankees, but when it comes to his offense, he's as consistent as they get.
He does not whiff, and he does not strike out. He was in the running for his fourth batting title this year and would be a great player to have in front of some of the Yankees' big bats. However, the Yankees may have to make some other moves to really make signing Arraez make sense.
For one, the Yankees like Anthony Volpe, and he looked good after being recalled at the end of the year. They could view him as their new second baseman, but they also gave him reps at third base after calling up George Lombard. The Yankees need a new third baseman as well, so if they trade Ryan McMahon, they could sign Arraez to play second base and play Volpe at third base.
However, that's not the only move they may need to make. Luis García Jr. has a ton of experience at second base and will need a place to play when Giancarlo Stanton is back and Ben Rice goes to first base. The solution here would be to cut bait with Stanton.
Arraez makes a ton of sense as a player if the Yankees can accommodate a fit without reducing roles for Volpe and García.
Arraez posted a .765 OPS and a .310 batting average this year. He could see his home run numbers increase at Yankee Stadium as well.
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