One of the more polarizing players for the New York Yankees is Micheal Andújar, who is preparing to turn 27 years old and going into his fifth professional season. After an electrifying rookie campaign back in 2018, Andújar has seen a massive drop-off in production and efficiency across-the-board.
Andújar recorded a .297 batting average with 27 homers and 92 RBIs that season, but since then, he hasn’t cracked 162 plate appearances in a single year.
However, the Dominican Republic native is fighting for a chance to be an impact player down the road, despite not having a defensive position to call home.
Miguel has been moved around multiple times, playing first base, third base, and even in the outfield for a short while. Unfortunately, his best fielding percentage came in left field when he posted a .972 success rate, which is quite poor for an outfielder.
Andújar’s issues have never been offensive but rather on the defensive side. The Yankees have too many designated hitter options for Andújar to take up an active roster spot, so they could look to trade him in a more prominent deal, including other players this off-season once the lockout ends.
Nonetheless, Miguel has been working diligently to stay in shape and prepare for the season ahead. The veteran major leaguer posted a video smashing a baseball into left field during a batting session on Thursday night.
Sound on ??? pic.twitter.com/O7ZbGnceY4
— Miguel Andujar (@MAndujarPapa) January 28, 2022
The sound of the baseball hitting the bat and disappearing into the night sky is awesome. In fact, it really embodies the sport entirely, building more suspense around the lockout ending.
In the meantime, Andújar will continue to work on his craft and try to improve his defense, but the Yankees may have already given up on his long-term future with the team. If that is the case, I fully expect him to be involved in a potential trade down the road, especially if they’re looking to offer up cheap talent with potential.