The New York Yankees had a tough decision to make thanks to Miguel Andujar’s rise at the hot corner. But the third basemen fell just short in his attempt to swipe the starting spot on the roster.
Miguel Andujar did everything he could to earn himself a New York Yankees jersey this spring. But the third baseman will have to wait, as the club demoted him to Triple-A on Sunday.
The move shouldn’t be all that surprising. When general manager Brian Cashman acquired Brandon Drury from Arizona, the likelihood that Andujar would start diminished greatly.
Then Neil Walker’s addition confirmed Drury wouldn’t see time at second base, giving him third base to himself. That can all change rather rapidly, but it depends on how guys like Andujar and top prospect Gleyber Torres perform in the minors.
Andujar became a household name this Spring, crushing four home runs and posting a .916 OPS across 42 at-bats. Slowly, he gained recognition and forced manager Aaron Boone to contemplate what to do with him at the beginning of the year.
Weird hour for Miguel Andujar. 24 minutes after being optioned to Triple-A, he was named the Yankees' 2017 Minor League Player of the Year.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 18, 2018
New York looks to change its recent trend at third base. Yankees third basemen haven’t ranked within the top 10 in runs or average since 2012.
Chase Headley, who held down the position since 2015, was unproductive during his tenure in the Bronx. The switch-hitter was unsteady at the dish, although he had some fantastic stretches for the team.
New York has an outside shot to rank among the best at the position if Drury enjoys a breakout season. Moreover, maybe Andujar can assist with this goal if he finds himself on the roster.
The Dominican’s entry into the bigs could also come at first base, as he received reps at the position recently. But again, it would take an injury to propel him into that spot for the Yankees.
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Andujar doesn’t have many issues hitting-wise, as he posted averages better than .300 in both Double-A and Triple-A last season. He also doesn’t strike out often, whiffing just 71 times in 522 plate appearances in the minors last year.
The biggest aspect of his game he must work on is his power, but he’s still young and has time to bulk up. At this point, he might be able to challenge Drury in that category if given a full season to showcase his ability.
Neither Andujar nor Drury exemplify a Bronx Bomber like most of the other starters. And neither does the backup utility man Ronald Torreyes. Nevertheless, Andujar might have the most potential of the three guys.
If Drury endures some sort of injury, expect Boone to ask for Andujar as his replacement. Furthermore, Drury isn’t a guaranteed sure thing, so if Andujar mashes opposing pitchers in the minors, he could make his way to the Yankees.
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That wouldn’t be a major surprise, especially after his progress in Spring Training.