The New York Yankees didn’t extend a qualifying offer to shortstop Didi Gregorius officially making him a free agent. The club had until today at 5:00 PM on Monday to extend a $17.7 million offer to Gregorius. If the Yankees had offered him and he declined, they would’ve been given a draft pick compensation.
This isn’t a shocking move by the Yankees, as it was believed that Gregorius might be on his way out this offseason. Gleyber Torres proved this season that he can play shortstop and will most likely be the franchise’s shortstop for the next several years.
The 29-year-old didn’t have his best year, slashing .238/.276/.441 with 16 home runs and 61 runs batted in. There’s a case that maybe he never found a rhythm after coming back from his injury, but regardless his drought had an impact on the Yankees especially in the postseason.
Except for a grand slam against the Minnesota Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS, Gregorius didn’t do much in the playoffs. In the ALCS against the Houston Astros, he went 5-23 putting him at a .217 batting average.
Even though the Yankees didn’t offer him an extension, that doesn’t mean Gregorius can’t end up back in pinstripes. It’s possible that they could offer him a new contract, but it’s very unlikely since they had the chance to already keep him,
At 29 years of age, Gregorius will most likely be offered a 2-4 year deal for roughly $15-25 million. A left-handed hitting shortstop with great defense, he’ll find his place on a major league roster.