Chase Headley has been biding his time ever since Pablo Sandoval signed his five-year, $95 million contract with the Red Sox, eager for a big deal of his own. While the Yankees apparently weren't eager to give him five years, Headley already has an offer on the table of four years and $65 million. Of course, this comes from the always active "mystery team," but it seems like the Yankees need to make a quick decision on whether to match, or let Headley go.
Headley performed quite well for the Yankees after arriving from San Diego last season, hitting .262/.371/.398 for a 121 wRC+ in 58 games with New York and providing stellar defense at the hot corner. While he probably wouldn't produce quite as well over the course of a full season (he has a 112 wRC+ for his career), he's still an above average third baseman who could give the Yankees a solid bat and a great glove.
He's also a good fit, considering the Yankees don't really have a whole lot of infield options. If he signs elsewhere, Martin Prado might end up at third, giving Rob Refsnyder the gig at second base, but that doesn't leave a lot of room for injuries or error. It also puts a lot of pressure on Refsnyder right out of the gates. Everyone already seems to have decided that counting on Alex Rodriguez at third is a bad idea, so it's clear that the Yankees need infield help.
But is he really worth all that cash? Probably. The Yankees need a more dependable infield and lineup than they had last year, and letting Prado float around the infield and outfield will give a lot of their older players some time off. There aren't a whole lot of desirable corner infielders coming on the market next year either, so it's not as if signing Headley now would prevent them from chasing a big name next year. Really, the only thing it could prevent is how much they shell out for a front line starter. Still, if they're planning on making some serious noise in the AL East next year, signing Headley is almost a must. He'd make the team quite a bit better and besides, without him, there's just too much room for error.