The New York Yankees fell three victories short of a World Series championship in 2024. Still, the Yankees reached the Fall Classic and their future is bright. Despite losing Juan Soto in free agency, New York found a way to maintain a competitive roster with significant additions such as Max Fried and Cody Bellinger. The Yankees still have some roster uncertainty, however.

New York has had talented and reliable third basemen over the years. Heading into 2025, though, the position is up for grabs. So who will win the third base job?

Yankees need a third baseman

Third base is technically a position battle right now. Rumors of a potential Nolan Arenado trade have swirled, though. If the Yankees were to acquire Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals, the veteran would instantly land the gig.

At the moment, though, Arenado is a member of the Cardinals. Meanwhile, the Yankees have multiple players in the conversation for the third base position.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Oswald Peraza could all realistically play the hot corner. Chisholm may move back to second base in 2025, though.

LeMahieu would seemingly emerge as the favorite if Chisholm ends up at second base and Arenado is not traded to New York. But LeMahieu's struggles in recent seasons only add to the uncertainty.

The 36-year-old is a three-time All-Star. He was limited to only 67 games played in 2024, though. While on the field, his production was far from ideal. He slashed just .204/.269/.259/.527 across 228 plate appearances. LeMahieu led the league in batting average during the 2020 campaign, but he has not hit over .268 since.

New York's 2025 infield outlook

New York Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu (26) throws the ball to first base for an out during the tenth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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The Yankees feature an intriguing overall infield. Paul Goldschmidt signed in New York and he will likely replace Anthony Rizzo at first base. Bellinger and LeMahieu are also both capable of playing the position, though.

All of the Yankees third base candidates are capable of playing second base as well. As mentioned, though, Chisholm may be the favorite for the position. Meanwhile, Anthony Volpe is set to handle shortstop duties once again in New York.

The only guaranteed positions right now are seemingly first base and shortstop. The Yankees have multiple candidates for second and third base. Chisholm is the best player of the candidates, as LeMahieu, Cabrera, and Peraza all have some uncertainty.

Again, the Yankees could end up making a trade. Arenado would fit with this ball club. However, rumors have swirled for months and nothing has come to fruition, leading to doubt that a deal will end up happening before the regular season.

Still, teams are willing to make trades in spring training. If a deal does not happen before Opening Day, then a potential trade likely won't happen until the deadline in July.

So who will play third base for the Yankees during the 2025 season? Right now, LeMahieu is seemingly the favorite but nothing is guaranteed. New York will closely monitor the situation throughout spring training before officially announcing their 2025 third baseman.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who spent plenty of time at the hot corner during his playing career, will have a difficult decision to make before 2025 Opening Day.