Trade rumors have swirled this offseason regarding third baseman Miguel Andujar, who tore his Labrum last season before making any impact. The New York Yankees were reportedly shopping him to the Brewers in a potential Josh Hader deal, but nothing has materialized as of yet, and the probability has decreased exponentially.
However, Andujar’s value is still sought after, but comments from Yankees manager, Aaron Boone, have indicated he will be with the team to start spring training, which is a positive sign for the young infielder.
Andujar’s value comes in the form of his offense, which was on full display during his rookie season. He posted a .297 BA with 47 doubles and 27 homers — stellar productivity for a rook, and he was expected to be a significant force during the 2019 season, before his season-ending injury.
“We’re just wanting him to get fully healthy and he’s doing really well,†Boone said Tuesday morning, while on SiriusXM’s MLB Network.
“We believe he’s going to be totally healthy as he enters spring training and good to go.â€
The New York Yankees need to give Miguel Andujar the proper opportunities:
While Miguel is preparing to make an illustrious comeback, he did take a significant step backward in his progression with the infield. Losing an entire year of development not only hurt his skill-set, but it allowed Gio Urshela to sneak in and steal the hot corner spot with ease.
Urshela had a fantastic 2019 campaign, posting a .314 BA with 21 homers and 74 RBI in 132 games. He had a .889 OPS. His defense is also lightyears better than Andujar’s, which will force the younger of the two to either improve quickly, feature in a designated hitter role, or change positions.
“He’s good to go right now,†Boone said of Andujar. “Feel like he’s at a really good spot physically myself and a couple of our coaches are actually heading down to the DR next week and hopefully he’s one of the guys we’re going to see.
“We’ll get to spend a little bit of time with them and put our eyes on him a little bit and look forward to seeing him back in the fold and part of that (third base) conversation you’re talking about.â€
This is excellent news for Andujar, who will be seeking a significant role with the Yankees moving forward. He has a long way to go, though, before overcoming a surging Urshela.