David Freese shouldn’t pack his suitcase just yet.
A report surfaced Wednesday stating that the Yankees and Cardinals were discussing a trade involving Freese. But according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, a trade isn’t happening, as it doesn’t make sense for the Yankees given the current state of the Alex Rodriguez situation.
The Yankees will need a third baseman if and when Rodriguez is suspended, but the decision regarding A-Rod won’t come until December. Therefore, as Sherman theorizes, any move in which the Yankees acquire a third baseman before then would likely involve a left-handed hitter, such as Eric Chavez, or someone, like Stephen Drew or Jhonny Peralta, who could play both third base and shortstop. Freese is a right-handed hitter capable of playing only third base.
Freese is reportedly due around $4.5 million through arbitration for 2014, which Sherman thinks could make him a non-tender candidate, thus creating the possibility that the Yankees could sign him as a free agent in December. There’s no indication to suggest that the Cardinals plan to non-tender Freese, but the 30-year-old has an injury history and is coming off a down year, so St. Louis, theoretically, could opt to move Matt Carpenter to third base and play rookie Kolten Wong at second base.
Freese hit .293 with 20 home runs and 79 RBIs in 144 games in 2012 — one year removed from his World Series heroics. He hit .262 with nine homers and 60 RBIs in 2013, while also hitting just .179 (10-for-56) with 16 strikeouts in 17 postseason games.
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