Despite a glaring need at third base, New York never appeared to consider Bregman, even as his market lingered seriously. The front office instead rolled with stopgaps and internal options, betting on DJ LeMahieu’s health and Oswaldo Cabrera’s versatility.

The New York Yankees traded for Cody Bellinger last offseason. He could hit free agency this offseason, and the team could trade him.

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The New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 5-2 on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, moving to 28-19 overall. They are in first place in the American League East

After losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets, the Yankees were left to reinforce their batting order where they could. They opted for a trade to bring in Cody Bellinger and a one-year deal for veteran Paul Goldschmidt, and both decisions seem to be paying off.

On Tuesday night, Tate took a break to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium ahead of the Yankees’ series opener against the Texas Rangers. Tate wore a No. 22 Yankees jersey, a nod to the fact that he’ll be Rutgers’ 22nd president.

Yankee Stadium is the fourth permanent home of the franchise, following Hilltop Park (1903-12), the Polo Grounds (1913-22), and the original Yankee Stadium (1923-73, ’76-2008). The Yankees also played two full seasons at Shea Stadium (1974-75) in Queens when the original Stadium underwent remodeling.

In a recent column for The Athletic, the former MLB general manager, who did work for Yankees GM Brian Cashman, floated the idea that New York “will have interest” in the two-time All-Star third baseman. But unless something changes dramatically, that interest may be purely theoretical.