Health has been the major talking point for the New York Yankees over the past few years, and this offseason has been no different. The injury bug has destroyed the outfield — Aaron Judge is recovering from a stress fracture in a rib, Giancarlo Stanton has been unable to stay healthy, most recently straining his calf in a pre-Spring Training workout, and Aaron Hicks is rehabbing after Tommy John surgery.
The outfield is just the tip of the iceberg, though, as the starting pitching rotation is also in shambles. If I were to tell you some of the best players on the team would be out before Spring Training even began, you wouldn’t believe it, but that’s the reality the Yankees are facing moving forward.
However, supplementing those injuries has become the focus, which is where players like Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar have entered the frame. Frazier was expected to feature in the outfield and earn ample playing time, but Andujar was also in line to potentially see some time in left field.
Andujar earned a few reps in left this Grapefruit League and received decent reviews from skipper, Aaron Boone.
“It was another good day for him out there. I don’t want to overstate it because they were two fairly easy plays, but talking about a sun field where there was a lot of wind,’’ Boone said a few weeks ago, via the NY Post. “I am watching the pitcher and the batter and my eyes shift and [Andujar] is already on the move like he should be. I think he is reading the ball well out there and he is moving. So far it looks natural to him.’’
The New York Yankees can still find the defensive value in Andujar:
Having the natural instinct is a significant part of becoming a quality defender, but Andujar is far behind on the list of capable outfielders. It’s possible he doesn’t see a single inning in left field this upcoming season since Frazier will get the nod ahead of him, and Stanton is scheduled to make his return once MLB resumes operations.
In the scenario that Andujar doesn’t play a lick of defense in 2020, he may get left behind with the exception of his bat, which could be used in a DH role. However, utilizing him solely for his bat isn’t enough, and it could open the door for a trade down the line. That doesn’t negate the fact that I believe Miggy is a quality player and should be retained, but if the Yankees don’t have a significant spot for him, they could gain value from him in other ways.