New York Yankees trade rumors: A taker for Miguel Andujar
The fall of Miguel Andujar was swift. The New York Yankees third baseman had been the runner up for the American League Rookie of the Year in 2018 and likely would have won the award had Shohei Ohtani not made his major league debut that season. From then, injuries and sporadic playing time ruined his career as he went from a building block to someone that was nothing more than minor league depth.
The straw that broke Andujar’s back came in June. He had been playing relatively well after being called up to the majors for another stint while Joey Gallo continued to be unplayable. And yet, he was sent back to Triple-A, leading to Andujar demanding a trade.
New York Yankees ready to grant Miguel Andujar’s wish
The Yankees are finally ready to acquiesce to Andujar’s request. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, while they would like to keep him in their system as insurance in case of injuries, they realize that he will get a better opportunity elsewhere.
Andujar had appeared to have a bright future not that long ago. He posted a .297/.328/.527 batting line with 27 homers and 47 doubles in his 606 plate appearances in 2018, showing the type of production that the Yankees needed in their lineup. However, he had a torn labrum in his shoulder that scuttled the 2019 season, while the emergence of Gio Urshela pushed him to the outfield.
He has not received much of an opportunity since. Andujar has appeared in just 92 games since the start of the 2019 season, producing a .231/.259/.324 batting line in his 328 plate appearances, hitting just seven homers and six doubles. It is not as though Andujar has done much to show that he deserves more of a chance, but at the same time, he has not gotten the opportunity to settle back in.
However, he is just 27 years old and about to enter his hypothetical prime. He has also just entered arbitration and has plenty of team control left. A change of scenery could make a major difference for Andujar and his career. This trade, should one occur, has been needed for quite some time.
Next. Gallo sees the writing on the wall. dark
Miguel Andujar has wanted a trade for a few weeks now. The New York Yankees are finally looking to make his desire a reality.