Ryan Garcia
The New York Yankees are signing Randal Grichuk to a Minor League contract that includes a non-roster invite as they add a right-handed bat for their outfield, first reported by Jack Curry of YES Network.
New York has been searching for options to play the outfield off the bench and Grichuk will serve that role for this team with some power against left-handed pitching.
Across his career, he owns a .813 OPS against LHP with a .500 SLG%, as the right-handed hitting outfielder has consistently produced strong results in those matchups.
Last season he saw a dip in his OPS in those matchups to an underwhelming .703 OPS, but his Expected OPS (.796) suggests there’s still something left for him to provide offensively.
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Randal Grichuk Joins the Yankees For Potential Bench Role
After Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees were searching for right-handed hitting depth still, it’s Jack Curry who reports that the team has inked a bat for their outfield.
Last season Randal Grichuk split time with the Diamondbacks and Royals, struggling at the plate to the tune of a .228 AVG and 82 wRC+, but the Yankees are focused on his underlying metrics.
He held strong contact rates against LHP with an above-average Expected OPS, and the Yankees believe he can serve as a fourth outfielder if the team needs some added support.
For Jasson Dominguez, this could severly limit his chances of breaking camp with the big league club, as barring injury there isn’t a spot for him on the 26-man roster.
The timing of this signing is ominous for Dominguez; the Yankees landing Grichuk while other teams remained involved in the bench bat market could indicate that he believes there was playing time available for him to snag.
It is unlikely that he will remain with the organization if he doesn’t get a job out of camp, and there are not many viable contenders for that fourth outfield job in camp right now.
Oswaldo Cabrera, Max Scheumann, Jasson Dominguez, and Spencer Jones are all below-average hitters against left-handed pitching, and Brian Cashman noted that he wants his younger players getting everyday reps.
Randal Grichuk projects to be the Yankees’ fourth outfielder barring some injury with experience playing the corners and providing a jolt to an offense against LHP.
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