The Yankees lost two infielders in the spring: Oswald Peraza and DJ LeMahieu to injuries. New York added a replacement infielder before Opening Day in Jon Berti, as the Yankees acquired the 34-year-old in a three-team deal.
A Look at Berti
Ex-Marlins infielder Jon Berti found a home in Miami after spending all of his early pro career in the Blue Jays farm system. Across five seasons, Berti only posted a 93 OPS+ — although he has gotten on base (.337 career OBP) at a decent clip throughout his career — for the Marlins but played all over the field for Miami.
The 34-year-old played at second, third, short, and all three outfield positions for the Marlins.
A slappy hitter with below-average power, Berti has good contact skills and is pretty patient at the plate. His above-average 21.4% Chase% rate from 2023 is proof of that.
And aside from his defensive versatility, Berti’s most notable asset is his speed. Berti ranked in the 95th percentile in sprint speed per Statcast last season and his 65 stolen bases from 2021-23 were 15th-most in the Majors.
The Rest of the Move
Berti was moved as part of a three-team deal, one that involved both the Marlins and Rays.
The Rays acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Yankees as part of the deal. Rortvedt was third on the Yankees’ depth chart at the catcher position, behind Jose Trevino and power-hitting rookie Austin Wells.
Rortvedt’s had limited success at the MLB level, as he owns a career OPS of .489. But in his short sample size, Statcast has rated him as a good framer. Tampa had just one catcher, Rene Pinto, on their 40-man roster.
Additionally, two prospects were part of the deal. A former Rays third-round pick in 2019, Shane Sasaki, went to Miami in the deal. Sasaki’s never played more than 100 games in a season but has showcased good speed, highlighted by a career-high 47 swipes over 89 games.
The Marlins also picked 18-year-old power-hitting outfielder John Cruz from the Yankees, quite possibly the most intriguing player in the deal. An absolute specimen with room to grow, Cruz has a big 6’3” frame and hit 10 home runs and 19 extra-base hits over 48 games in the FCL last season.
Analysis
The Yankees’ infield lost depth in the spring, thanks to injuries to Oswald Peraza and DJ LeMahieu that will keep them from starting the year on the MLB roster.
Those injuries left the Yankees with three regular infielders, Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres, and Anthony Volpe, along with INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera. Cabrera was set to start the season at third but Jon Berti should provide some short-term depth for the Yankees and someone who can push his way into scoring position with his speed if he can get on base.