Yankees officially release DJ LeMahieu one day after DFA

The final shoe dropped Thursday in the Yankees’ DJ LeMahieu saga, when the club officially released the veteran infielder a day after he was designated for assignment.

That LeMahieu passed through waivers unclaimed was no surprise, given that any team that claimed him would have had to pick up the $22 million owed to him through next year.

Now, the Yankees are officially on the hook for that money while LeMahieu is a free agent, available to sign with any team on what would likely be the minimum salary. Whether any team brings him in to see what he has left and play second base/first base/DH remains to be seen.

The soon-to-be 37-year-old, whose last few years as a Yankee were plagued by injuries, was batting .266 with a .674 OPS through 142 plate appearances this season. Of his 34 hits, only five went for extra bases (three doubles and two home runs), though he was hitting .310 with a .754 OPS in 96 plate appearances since June 1.

The bigger concern for the Yankees was LeMahieu’s preference not to play third base because of the physical toll it took on his body, with GM Brian Cashman indicating it had to do with the hip injury that he battled late last season and then briefly on his rehab assignment in May.

For that reason, the Yankees had him play strictly second base upon his return from the IL, though he lacked range there and then lost his job when the club decided to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to the position for their best defensive alignment.

Cashman and Aaron Boone said LeMahieu was willing to try working at third base to become an option there, but instead, the Yankees sent him packing to achieve a better roster configuration.

“He’s a great player, great person, he’s done great things here,” Cashman said Wednesday. “Obviously the last few years have been not what he or we had hoped for, but that’s also part of the game.”