A few summers ago, this $90 million star was the kind of player Yankees fans would brag about. Clutch hits, batting titles, Gold Gloves, he did it all with a quiet confidence that made him the engine of the Bronx Bombers. His name? DJ LeMahieu. Etched into every lineup card without question. But in baseball, the game doesn’t wait for anyone. And now, as the 2025 Yankees chase a division title, LeMahieu’s place in the lineup and on the roster itself is no longer guaranteed.

The stakes are high and the options are few. LeMahieu is wrapping up a rehab stint and is expected to return from a calf injury next week. But instead of excitement, his comeback has stirred up tension in the front office. With Oswaldo Cabrera holding his own at third base and Oswald Peraza, once a top prospect, clinging to a roster spot without minor league options, someone has to go. And if LeMahieu’s bat continues to lag, the Yankees might be forced to confront an unthinkable reality: Eating the final $30 million of his six-year, $90 million deal.

“There’s no way around it,” FanSided’s Jacob Mountz wrote. “When DJ LeMahieu returns, it doesn’t appear the Yankees will have any other option but to DFA their once promising infielder [Peraza]… something that is never a satisfying choice.” But many around the league are beginning to wonder—should the conversation be about LeMahieu instead?

Here’s where things get complicated. LeMahieu is hitting just .177 with no homers in 39 games this season. His exit velocity is at a career-low 87.6 mph, and he’s pounding ground balls nearly 60% of the time. That’s not a slump, it’s a red flag. And while Peraza hasn’t torn the cover off the ball either, he’s 24 with elite defensive tools and still developing. LeMahieu? He’s 36, trending in the wrong direction, and no longer a defensive asset.

The Yankees have been bold before—this wouldn’t be their first tough call. But cutting ties with a veteran cornerstone mid-contract would be a seismic move. Still, if they want to avoid wasting a precious roster spot in a playoff race, it might be time to stop playing favorites.

Because honestly, $90 million or not, production has to come first. The LeMahieu decision is looming, and it might be uglier than anyone expected.