The Yankees have an intriguing infield situation that they must sort out this offseason, but perhaps adding a veteran shortstop could be the ideal move.

According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, the Yanks have contacted Andrelton Simmons, a veteran who’s spent nine years in the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels.

The 31-year-old has a career slash line of .269/.317/.379 with 67 career home runs and 406 RBI. But Simmons has always been known more as a defensive specialist, and he has the hardware to prove it, earning four career Gold Glove Awards, including two in each league.

Currently, the Yankees have Gleyber Torres as their starting shortstop, but Torres’ defensive metrics after moving from second base to short were not what many expected them to be. As SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino has previously noted, Statcast had Torres in the bottom two percentile in Outs Above Average.

If DJ LeMahieu leaves as a free agent, sliding Torres back to second base could be the answer, or, if LeMahieu stays, Torres could be moved to third base if the team were to look into trading Gio Urshela, an idea that Martino has offered. Urshela has often made spectacular plays look routine as a Yankee, but his overall defensive advanced stats don't quite live up.

That would leave the Yankees with a clear need for a shortstop, and particularly one who is an above-average defender.

It’s still very early in what’s sure to be an offseason worth watching, but Simmons could be an interesting fit in the Yankees’ infield dilemma.

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