Unsatisfied with his offer from the New York Yankees, DJ LeMahieu is ready to explore his options. The free agent is expected to meet with other suitors this week as the Yankees and the second baseman remain apart in contract negotiations.

LeMahieu has asked his representatives to reach out to teams that have expressed interest in signing him, Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown reports. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, and Toronto Blue Rays were among the top suitors for the 32-year-old earlier this offseason, according to the report.

The Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Red Sox also contacted LeMahieu.

The Yankees are said to be willing to give LeMahieu a four-year contract. LeMahieu is instead seeking a five-year deal, according to Brown, in the neighborhood of $110 million.

After spending the previous seven seasons with the Colorado Rockies, LeMahieu inked a two-year, $24 million contract with the Yankees heading into the 2019 season. The infielder would go on to hit .336/.386/.536 with 36 home runs in 195 games with the Bronx Bombers, making him the team’s best player during that span.

LeMahieu finished fourth in the 2019 AL MVP voting. He was third in last year’s MVP race for the truncated 60-game season.

Formerly one of the best bargains in baseball, LeMahieu is now looking to get paid. There’s a chance he’ll have to find a new home in order to do so.

The Dodgers potentially have an open spot in the infield with third baseman Justin Turner hitting free agency. The two sides are far apart in negotiations, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Los Angeles has been the National League’s biggest spender over the last few seasons.

The Mets now have the second-highest NL payroll under new owner Steve Cohen, who’s expected to make the team a player for all of the league’s top free agents.

The Dodgers are said to prefer to bring back Turner. The Mets are probably less inclined to give LeMahieu a lengthy contract after trading for star shortstop Francisco Lindor.

As for the Yankees, they want their star second baseman back in pinstripes. However, the longer LeMahieu remains unsigned, the greater the chance there will be another team that meets his asking price.

DJ LeMahieu New York Yankees
DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees plays at Citi Field on Sept. 3, 2020, in the Queens borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images
RELATED STORIES
Major league baseball