Could the heir apparent to Derek Jeter be a Texas Ranger? Well, maybe. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees are “intrigued” by Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus, who is still owed $120 million through 2022.
The Yankees would have to feel Andrus is a buy-low candidate whose downturn on both sides of the ball in 2014 was reversible and that, at 26, his best years are ahead of him.
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It is possible that with so many problematic long-term contracts already, the Yankees do not want to risk another.
However, they are trying to get younger and find players who might be ready to have their best seasons now. Andrus, despite his six full seasons, does not even turn 27 until August.
Andrus is a very different player than Jeter. His career high in hits is 180, a total Jeter eclipsed 13 times in his career. He has just 20 career home runs. He’s never gotten on-base at a .350 clip. However, Andrus is a phenomenal defender (something you could never say about Jeter, despite all of those Gold Gloves in his trophy case) and a tremendous base stealer, nabbing 192 bags over his first six seasons.
He’s not a sexy player, and his contract will probably pay him more than he’s worth, but he’d probably be a better long-term replacement for Jeter than anyone else the Yankees could acquire this winter, aside from Troy Tulowitzki.
