The Yankees didn’t attain their foremost purpose of profitable the World Sequence this season regardless of having a stacked roster but once more. Nevertheless, there was one participant who some may need forgotten about by means of all of the October competitors.

Whereas the 2020 shortened season was a curler coaster for all gamers concerned, Miguel Andujar skilled that much more than the remainder of his teammates.

The 25-year-old performed in simply 21 of the Yankees’ 60 video games this season, as he struggled mightily with the bat – in addition to discovering taking part in time – at the start of the 12 months.

With a .115 common by means of August, the Yankees despatched Andujar right down to their Alternate Coaching Website on quite a few events to determine his swing. And by the point he felt snug with it once more, he was the odd man out when injured gamers got here off the IL.

So, after a season like this, is it time for GM Brian Cashman to lastly commerce away Andujar? It needs to be.

Cashman loves to carry on to property he believes can have an actual affect within the league, as any GM would. Andujar’s rookie season ended with him virtually profitable AL Rookie of the 12 months, with Shohei Ohtani taking that title in the long run. It was purported to be Gleyber Torres bringing in that trophy, however Andujar stood out together with his distinctive helicopter swing that sprayed the ball all around the discipline.

However then he tore his labrum in his throwing shoulder in 2019, ending his season earlier than it might take off. Andujar was already battling defensive points at third base earlier than that, too, so Cashman wanted a alternative.

Enter Gio Urshela, who has been all the pieces and ten instances greater than the Yankees anticipated on the scorching nook. He discovered his personal swing in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and is now the Yankees’ incumbent at third base. There’s no taking him out of that spot, which was evident throughout spring coaching this 12 months.

However keep in mind, Andujar’s offensive expertise had been too good to not have within the lineup. So the Yankees informed him to work on his outfield expertise as soon as he returned from rehab, and that’s what he did. The outfield depth, although, was evident in 2020 as effectively.

Clint Frazier had the breakout season that everybody envisioned for the previous first-rounder, slashing .267/.394/.511 with eight homers and 26 RBI over 39 video games. With gamers like Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Choose harm, Frazier performed the outfield corners and confirmed that he can produce on an on a regular basis foundation transferring ahead. He’s additionally simply 25 years outdated and confirmed some main pop in his bat, one thing the Yankees couldn’t take out of the lineup even when everybody returned.

With Urshela holding duties at third and Frazier — in addition to Brett Gardner who might additionally return subsequent season — within the outfield, Andujar was on the taxi squad for the postseason as a substitute of the principle roster.

So the place does that go away Andujar? Aaron Boone can’t create a spot for him anyplace in his lineup. Even Mike Tauchman is a greater possibility within the outfield due to his sound defensive expertise there. And at third base, Andujar has proven he’s an excessive amount of of a legal responsibility to throw the ball throughout the diamond. Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada have been the depth infielders for a motive.

Andujar’s agent has additionally gone public together with his frustration for his shopper, who he mentioned wasn’t getting a good shot. He additionally believed the Yankees had been manipulating Andujar’s service time by making him the primary man to be despatched down every time a participant returned from harm.

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Now, Cashman has a younger participant with stable MLB expertise and a great bat who doesn’t have a real dwelling on his workforce. With the necessity for rotation assist, now could be the appropriate time to make the calls to see what he would possibly be capable of purchase with Andujar as a commerce chip.

It helps that Andujar hit .355/.394/.581 with a homer, triple, two doubles and 5 RBI in his September at-bats, so his commerce worth ought to nonetheless be comparatively excessive. He additionally has three years of workforce management left, which is a foremost motive why Cashman has been so unwilling to commerce him prior to now.

Groups know that the Yankees don’t have a spot for him, although, so which will get difficult when it comes to what New York can get in return.

Both method, Cashman is aware of his workforce wants to enhance in a number of areas, and a commerce of Andujar might deliver again an answer to a kind of wants. And it really works out for each events, with Andujar hopefully getting extra regular taking part in time elsewhere.