The New York Yankees have some dire needs this offseason with holes to fill at first base, shortstop, at backstop, and that is not to mention they have only one experienced starting pitcher and also have to strengthen the bullpen. With those needs, they also have a tremendously talented player that they basically have no need for. Miguel Andujar is a man looking in from the outside. As it appears now, his greatest value to the Yankees is as a trading piece to help fill holes.
First, let’s take a look at “Miggies” rise to future stardom and his fall from grace. Miquel Enrique Andujar was born on March 2, 1995, in San Cristobal, the Dominican Republic. Not much is known about his parents as he lived his childhood with his Grandmother. He played baseball in the sandlots near his home. As a child, his baseball hero was Adrian Beltre, a fellow Dominican with the Texas Rangers. His other hobby as a kid was fishing, which is still true today, especially deep-sea fishing.
Miggy didn’t finish high school where he was learning English, as, when playing baseball locally, he was seen by a Yankee scout that was impressed with his hitting. The Yankees signed Miggy to a minor league contract at the age of just 16 in 2011. After a short time at the Yankees training facility in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic, he was sent to Florida. In 2012 he made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees.
Andujar quickly made his way through the New York Yankees Minor League system. He ended the 2017 season with a .312 average, hitting 7 home in 67 games. But on June 28, he made his Major League debut. The 22-year-old went straight from the airport to the history books in the Yankee victory over the White Sox, going 3-for-4 while driving in four runs with a double, walk, and a stolen base. He immediately became a Yankee star. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra all own a plaque in Monument Park, but none of those legends equaled Miguel Andujar’s Major League debut performance.
In what might have been a Yankee mistake, after only eight plate appearances and hitting .571 he was sent back down to Scranton upon the return of Matt Holliday. Andujar started the 2018 season for the Rail Riders, but after just seven games, he was back at Yankee Stadium, where he would play in 149 games for the Yankees. Andujar proved that he was the up and coming star that he showed in 2017. He finished the 2018 season batting .297 with 27 home runs and almost 100 RBI’s. The New York Yankees had a true star on their hands.
But there was one glaring flaw, his defense of the hot corner. He committed 15 errors, showing that he lacked range and an accurate throwing arm. That would be the beginning of his fall from grace. Through no fault of his own, that fall was further complicated by a shoulder injury that ended up needing surgery and preventing him from playing. Also out of his control was that the Yankees promoted Rail Rider Gio Urshela to replace him at third base. Urshela turned out to be an even better player with cat-like Gold Glove defense.
When Andujar returned for spring training, the Yankees knew that Urshela would be the starting third baseman over “Miggy.” So the Yankees recognizing Andujar’s talent, tried to find a place for him, other than a backup for Urshela. They tried first base and the outfield. Andujar didn’t particularly impress, no matter where he played in the short 2020 season. He ended up playing in only 27 games, hitting a paltry .247. He spent most of the season at the alternate site.
The Yankees sent Miguel to the Dominican Republic to play winter ball so that the New York Yankees could further evaluate his play. Of all the Yankees playing winter ball, Estevan Florial and Miguel Andujar are the only position players to really shine. He missed a few weeks during winter ball due to muscle stiffness, but he looked sharp when he returned to the team, finishing with a .308/.333/.410 line. He remained the Andújar that Yankees fans have come to know, only walking twice and pounding out 12 hits with four doubles on the season. It could be the only thing he has done is to increase his trade value.