Miguel Andújar

New York Yankees: Could Miguel Andujar be left behind in 2020?

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

With the New York Yankees considering every point of action this offseason, third baseman Miguel Andujar could be a player of significant value, whether it be in a trade or as a retained player.

Barring any trade scenarios, Andujar is on pace to be the reserve third baseman behind Gio Urshela, who exploded onto the scene in 2019, hitting .314 with 21 homers over 442 at-bats. His defense was also stellar on the hot corner, finishing with a .954 field percentage and 284 putouts over 123 games.

Urshela rightfully earned the opportunity to start during the 2020 campaign or at least the first crack at the starting lineup. General manager Brian Cashman stated earlier this offseason that teams had already called to gauge interest on a potential trade for Andujar. Still, I believe the Yankees should keep him locked up and far from danger.

Andujar has a great bat, but his defensive qualities have let him down since his inception into the MLB in 2018. The idea was floated that he could be moved to a different position. First base remains an option if Urshela holds on tight to the starting third base job. Getting Andujar involved should be a priority, as allowing him to justify his value and even increase it would give the Bombers an advantage heading into the trade deadline next season.

Why the New York Yankees should hold onto Miguel Andujar:

In 2018, Andujar batted .297/.328/.527 in 149 games as a rookie. He finished in second place in A.L. Rookie of the Year voting. He’s one-year removed from that impressive campaign, and teams around the league will be looking to snatch him from the Yankees at a lower price-point.

One statistic that bodes well for his keeping is his low strikeout rate. The Yankees have adopted a home run centric mentality towards the game, which unfortunately is accompanied by high strikeouts ratios. That will be a welcomes addition to the lineup in 2020, where Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Giancarlo Stanton all rack of strikeouts faster than the Houston Astros were buried in cheating scandals.

Overall, the idea that Andujar could be left behind is de-bunked. The Yankees have a ton of value they can extract from him, and he’s nowhere near his potential, which should justify retaining him 100x over.

The Yankees must keep Miguel Andujar for one significant reason

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

With speculation that the Yankees will look to deal third baseman Miguel Andujar this offseason, it’s justifiable to analyze his value. Andujar is coming off a season on the injured list after a torn labrum, a serious injury that will require plenty of recovery time.

“I’m definitely getting a lot of interest in Miguel Andujar while I’m sitting down here,” Cashman told ESPN Radio on Wednesday while in Scottsdale, Ariz., for the MLB GM Meetings. “I’ve got clubs asking me, ‘What are you going to do with him? We’d have an interest in him. Mark us down.’”

The youth product’s value undoubtedly took a hit from his spell on the injured list, and that’s the primary reason general manager Brian Cashman shouldn’t consider trading him away. Allowing him to return and show he can replicate his rookie season is the ideal scenario for the Yankees.

Best case scenario, Andujar develops into the team’s everyday third baseman, and worst case, he can be used as trade bait next offseason with a full-campaign of productivity and statistics under his belt. This will give Cashman more value to work with and allow him to pursue other top players.

The Yankees can expand on Andujar’s value:

From an objectional standpoint, Andujar’s cost isn’t only low because of his injury, but Gio Urshela also factors in. Urshela resembles a regular starter on the hot-corner for the Bombers, and that lowers Miguel’s value as well. Teams know the Yankees don’t necessarily need Andujar and will utilize that reality to drive down his price.

With Andujar’s defensive struggles playing a part, Cashman mentioned the idea of moving him around in the infield to test different scenarios. This could be a good idea, but the Yankees have answers at nearly every position. Shortstop is filled with Gleyber Torres or a free agent, DJ LeMahieu houses second base, and first base will likely rotate between Luke Voit and Mike Ford.

Third base is the only realistic option for Andujar, and that’s where he should continue to develop. However, Urshela’s defensive prowess places significant value on his head, but that shouldn’t deter Cashman from holding onto Andujar for at least one more season in an attempt to increase his value. If his bat comes to life next year, the trade deadline could be an excellent place to start shopping.

What Should The New York Yankees Do With Greg Bird?

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We have forgotten about the existence of Greg Bird in the New York Yankees organization, and time is ticking to make a decision on his future. The Yankees have until December 2nd to make a final decision, but the first deadline is today.

It is the final day to protect players from the Rule 5 draft by putting them on the 40 man roster. They could DFA him and risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft, or keep him on the 40 man for now.

But, they need to decide by December 2nd weather to tender him or not, meaning decide if they want to keep him or release him to free agency.

So what should the Yankees do with him? In my opinion, they should let him walk.

Bird has yet to put up solid numbers with the Yankees and the team has a lot of depth. His career average is .211 in 611 at-bats, and is only really known for his homerun in game three of the 2017 ALDS, a game that the team won 1-0 and staved off elimination from the Cleveland Indians. As we all know, the Yankees won that series and came a game away from the World Series.

There are also several other guys that can play first base for the Yankees. DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit are the obvious ones, Miguel Andujar may shift to first base, and Mike Ford has proven lefty power.

Keeping Greg Bird around would just eat up roster space. He would also be in AAA and probably extremely unhappy. Injuries have been a huge issue for him too, but may thrive on a different team or even overseas.

New York Yankees: Will Deivi Garcia be used as trade bait this offseason?

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New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia

The New York Yankees need to supplement the loss of several key starters and potential injured ones in 2020. Shortstop Didi Gregorius will likely depart in free agency, and Dellin Betances is coming off a torn Achilles tendon. Finding a way to inject quality into both positions could require general manager Brian Cashman to allocate resources towards them, and that could include trading young players in a potential deal.

Who could the New York Yankees trade?

Minor-league pitcher Deivi Garcia was involved in talks just before the trade deadline last season, but this offseason, his value could be increased after shooting up to the top minor-league team in only three months at 21-years-old.

Garcia struggled a bit with Triple-A Wilkes-Scranton Barre, but his youth gives him the benefit of time. Utilizing him as a critical piece in a deal to bring in a trusted bullpen arm could be worth the value. However, they could look to bring in a shortstop like Francisco Lindor

Lindor would slot in at short while Gleyber Torres remains at second base. The Cleveland Indians star has a career-low .273 batting average and can rack up home runs at an impressive rate. He has logged 103 homers over his last three seasons, making him an ideal fit for a Bombers team that prioritizes the long ball.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden explored three Lindor trade possibilities:

The Yankees can offer a package centered around one of their top pitching prospects in Deivi Garcia, third baseman Miguel Andújar and teenage shortstop Oswald Peraza. Garcia is one of the Yankees’ top pitching prospects, with three above-average pitches but a small, 5-foot-9 frame that has scouts split on whether he remains a starter or becomes a reliever in the long run. Andújar, 24, was one of the AL’s best rookies in 2018, slashing .297/.328/.527 with 47 doubles, 27 home runs and 92 RBIs but was sidelined this past season after shoulder surgery. Andújar would become the Indians’ everyday third baseman with José Ramírez moving to second base full-time. Peraza, 19, has all the tools to develop into an elite shortstop but comes with risk because of age and the “hit” tool.

If the Yankees could bring in a player like Lindor, the entire team would benefit. He would be costly in the long-run, but he’s a star player that would give the Bomber’s World Series aspirations.

A 10 Part Breakdown of the New York Yankees Depth. Part 2: Third Base

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New York Yankees, Giovanny Urshela

Any New York Yankees fan can tell you that Gio Urshela was a godsend this 2019 campaign. He was what you needed at third base, a brick wall. He, more often than not, would make MLB networks Web Gems segment with his stellar defense. Many universally agree he’s better defensively than Miguel Andujar, even Brian Cashman proclaiming “third is Urshela’s to lose”. Which is fair.

But the contest may be closer than people want to accept.

Wait… you’re saying Andujar is a better defensive third baseman?!

Numbers don’t lie here people. While it’s a small sample size, let’s look solely at Andujar’s 2018 and compare it to Urshela’s 2019.

I think fielding percentage is the best metric, but we will look at advanced metrics. In 2018, Andujar sported a .948 fielding percentage over 136 games. That’s 15 errors committed. Not great, but also not terrible for a kid who made it to the majors earlier than the team anticipated. In 2019, Urshela sported a .954 fielding percentage over 123 games played at third. That’s 13 errors. If Urshela played as many games as Andujar did in 2018 for the 2019 season, it’s a no brainer that Urshela would have committed as many errors as Andujar, who was benched in the playoffs over his “shaky defense”. Urshela has been a known commodity at third for far longer than Andujar has been, so why are we as quick to defend Urshela and his defense in The Bronx, as we are to condemn Andujar’s “rocky at best defense”?

Now let’s look at the advanced defensive metrics.

Urshela has been up and down in the majors since 2015, compared to Andujar’s single year in the bigs. So, obviously, Urshela’s advanced metrics are more skewed. But, again, for a “defensive whiz kid” Urshela is touted as, Andujar isn’t that far off.

Urshela’s range factor per 9 innings sits at 2.43. Miguel Andujar’s sits at 2.08. Urshela’s range factor per game is 2.07, Andujar’s is 1.97. Yes, for their career, Andujar’s defensive runs saved above average is going to be pretty heavily skewed to reflect his “poor defense” for 2018 and the brief time he played third during the 2019 campaign, which is a staggering -27. Gio Urshela still has cost his team runs, and has a career defensive runs saved above average in the negatives as well (-4). Yes, I know -27 is a larger number than -4, but the way everyone raves about Urshela’s defense, you’d expect it to be in the positives.

Remember, 2019 was the first time since Urshela got called up he played a complete season in the bigs. 2018 was the first time Andujar played a complete season. And Urshela was TOUTED as a defensive whiz kid. And when you isolate the first full season either of these guys had, they were remarkably similar, with the numbers skewed more toward Urshela as he has a larger body of work compared to Andujar (273 games for Urshela to 143 for Andujar. baseball-reference.com)

But Urshela was a BEAST offensively!

And who’s to say that was an abnormal year? Remember, Andujar finished in 2nd place for the 2018 Rookie of the Year voting to the first dual-threat player since Babe Ruth (Shohei Ohtani). Andujar is a better-known commodity at this point offensively because it’s far more likely that what we saw in 2018 is what Andujar is capable of producing on a year to year basis.

Gio Urshela was a liability offensively prior to 2019.

Before this season, Gio never hit above .235. Before this season, his career WAR was in the negatives. Before this season, Miguel Andujar had a career WAR of 2.4, which was higher than where Urshela’s WAR is now! I say that because Andujar’s -1 WAR for 2019 brought his career war down to 1.5 (somehow, because that’s wrong math) whereas Gio’s total WAR, after his 2019 campaign, sits at 2.3.

Also, in one season, Andujar almost matched the number of home runs Urshela hit for his career, is one double behind Urshela, has hit more triples than Urshela has hit in his career, and has a better career batting average than Urshela has. And when we isolate the first full season each man had with the team, Andujar scored more runs than Urshela did, drove in more runs than Urshela did, convincingly got more hits than Urshela did, and matched Urshela in walks.

Remember when Yasiel Puig lit up the National League his rookie season? He’s now been wallowing in mediocrity, now on his third team in two seasons. Should Urshela get the nod over Andujar now? Yes. But once Miggy shows he’s healthy and recovered from his labrum tear, Urshela’s days at third are more than likely going to become limited. Especially if he can’t hide behind as many web gems to cover how many errors he’s committing.

And Then There’s the Field

Remember, DJ LeMahieu is a full infield utility player. He’s won a Gold Glove all around the horn (well, except catcher). If Gio or Miggy aren’t bringing it out of the gate, there’s a more real than the real probability that Boone starts DJ at third consistently.

This opens the door for Tyler Wade to get regular playing time at either short or second. Thairo Estrada also could crack the 26 man roster for 2020, but he still has options. Tyler Wade is running out (if not already out) of options. Why lose a player to waivers when you could trade him? Wade’s trade value seems to be higher now than Frazier’s (according to reports). Wade was also starting to FINALLY show some life at the plate this season, something that’s been sorely lacking in his major league appearances. Perhaps he’s about to turn the same corner Gio turned. Perhaps he AND Gio will return to the mediocre offensive performances they’ve been known for prior to 2019. And perhaps Andujar will regress offensively while showing little to no signs of improvement defensively.

So Who Get’s The Job?

The likelihood that LeMahieu starts regularly at third is laughable. As much as I think it would be a mistake, the plan seems to move Torres over to short, and let DJ start at second (more on that later in this series). Wade and Estrada will be Eduardo Nunez types. They’ll get playing time at third, but they’ll also get playing time all over the field (to give guys a day of rest). They’re not going to be you’re everyday starting third baseman.

Based on the small sample size that we have of Gio Urshela playing in New York, as well as Andujar’s, defensively the two are much closer together than people want to accept. Last year was the first year Urshela played a complete season. A lot will depend on how Urshela is going to be able to continue that moving forward. Andujar will have his own problems as he has to overcome the labrum surgery that derailed his 2019, on top of showing his defense has improved. But, again, Andujar committed 15 errors in 2018, Urshela committed 13 in 2019. Numbers don’t lie. If Andujar fixed his throwing motion problems that hurt him so much defensively at third in 2018, this is a much tighter race for the starting third baseman job than Brian Cashman wants to accept.

New York Yankees: Should the Yankees consider trading Miguel Andujar?

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

The New York Yankees are gaining interest from other clubs about Miguel Andujar. A trade perhaps is what teams are hoping for.

“I’m definitely getting a lot of interest in Miguel Andujar while I’m sitting down here,” said general manager Brian Cashman while down in Arizona for MLB general manager meetings. “I’ve got clubs asking me, ‘What are you going to do with him? We’d have an interest in him. Mark us down.”

There is a possibility that Andujar could be traded away if the Yankees see Gio Urshela as their future third baseman.

Cashman has already hinted that Urshela has the primary third base role. “So when we lost Miguel Andujar, Gio coming in and doing what he did was spectacular. It’s his position to lose.”

Despite how successful and important Urshela was during the 2019 season, the club definitely remembers Andujar’s incredible 2018 rookie season. Batting .297 with 27 home runs and 92 runs batted in, the 22-year-old (at the time) finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Andujar has a lot of questions to his name, however. He’s too much of a defensive liability that it makes more sense to keep Urshela at the hot corner. But because of his strong bat, the Yankees are looking for another place to put him because of how much he can impact a lineup.

“Whether it’s, ‘Can he play first? Can he play the outfield?’ You start playing those mind games, it’s anything that you want to do,” said Cashman.  “I’ve been around long enough when a bat’s good enough…”

I personally think Urshela should be kept at third and the Yankees should find another role for Andujar. I agree that he should be in the lineup, but since he’s not the best fielder it would make more sense to put him as a DH or make him a first baseman.

New York Yankees: Consider An Andujar Trade If Didi Resigns

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

The New York Yankees will be forced to make a decision on third baseman Miguel Andujar knowing that he will be healthy for the start of the 2020 season. Gio Urshela had a great year at third and deserves the starting spot. But, I don’t think that Miggy should necessarily go to first base. The Yankees should strongly consider trading him, and weather Didi Gregorius resigns or not has a part of it.

If Didi Signs:

Didi Gregorius resigning with the Yankees would mean that Gleyber Torres plays everyday second base again, shifting DJ LeMahieu back to first. Luke Voit and Mike Ford are proven over there, and they should keep one, if not both. I’d rather they keep Ford for lefty power.

Gio Urshela would play everyday at third as planned. They could keep Andujar to back up the corners, but that might be too much corner depth and not enough middle infield depth. Tyler Wade or Thairo Estrada would likely get a spot for the middle infield.

If Didi Doesn’t Sign

If Didi Gregorius and the Yankees can’t strike a deal, you absolutely keep Andujar.

Torres would shift to everyday short and DJ to everyday second. First base could be Andujar, Ford, or Voit with Andujar backing up third. They would have to decide on Ford or Voit, but it probably wouldn’t be feasible to keep both.

Unless, what if Gio Urshela was to learn shortstop and second? He could still primarily play third, but it could make him more versatile and be able to carry both Voit and Ford instead of one of them and a primary middle infielder.

The only thing with that is that Wade and Estrada can both play outfield when necessary, and that is a thing the team would seriously have to consider when making roster cuts.

The Yankees have a decision to make on Miguel Andujar, and a lot of the decision comes from weather Didi Gregorius resigns or not.

New York Yankees: Urshela or Andujar at third for next season?

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New York Yankees, Gio Urshela

After Miguel Andujar decided to have season-ending surgery on his shoulder, the New York Yankees had big shoes to fill. After finishing second for the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year award, Andujar was monumental to the Yankees’ lineup.

Gio Urshela was traded to the New York Yankees from the Toronto Blue Jays in August of 2018 due to his lack of offensive talent. Boy, were they wrong.

Urshela slashed .314/.355/.534 with 21 home runs and 74 runs batted in. Originally starting his season in the Minor Leagues, Urshela shocked the Major Leagues when he was promoted to fill Andujar’s role.

However when healthy, Andujar is just as good offensively. In his rookie year, he slashed .297/.328/.527 with 27 homers and 92 runs batted in.

The variable that separates the two players is their defensive ability. Urshela is way beyond Andujar at third base, it’s not even a question. This leads me to the thought of making Andujar a DH and keeping Urshela the primary third basemen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqvIKolk2UU

Since the Yankees let Edwin Encarnacion walk to free agency, the designated hitter spot is wide open and Andujar could fill that role.

The Yankees will have a difficult decision on their hands. Both players have only really played one full season in the Major Leagues so the sample sizes aren’t big enough to judge based on prior accomplishments. It’s going to come down to simply who’s playing better. Another thing to consider is the Yankees are known to rather have a stacked power-hitting lineup than their best defensive lineup.

I think the Yankees should keep Urshela their primary third basemen and work Andujar in the lineup through the DH role. Andujar was too much of a defensive liability during the 2018 season that it makes more sense to have a better-fielding player at the hot corner.

Will the Yankees bench Gio Urshela in favor of Miguel Andujar?

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New York Yankees, Gio Urshela

The hot corner for the New York Yankees was a question mark going into the 2019 season. Youth star Miguel Andujar was dealing with a supposed shoulder injury, but he was expected to play through it. Several games in, the Yanks elected to shut him down for the year due to a partially torn labrum.

Miguel’s departure to the IL gave a career-average player a chance to become the starting third baseman for the Bronx bombers. In comes Gio Urshela, who had previously played for Toronto Blue Jays and sported a .233 batting average over 43 at-bats. Believe it or not, that was his best season to date before joining the Yankees this past year.

Urshela blew the doors open in regards to his potential, logging a .314 BA with 21 homers and 74 RBIs (baseball-reference). His impressive season came on the back of a minor fundamental change in his batting stance and launch angle.

Who will earn the third base job for the New York Yankees in 2020?

There should be no question that Urshela is the man for the Bombers at the hot corner. His defensive abilities were fantastic, earning a .954 fielding percentage and committing 13 errors. At first glance, those numbers don’t scream efficiency, but his glove was often essential to the Yankees squeaking out close games.

In comparison, Andujar suffered a very different fate on the defensive side of the ball. He recorded three errors in his first four games, while Urshela tallied 13 in 109 appearances. He was on pace for a staggering amount of errors, which is noted. Based on his defensive prowess alone, Gio should earn the starting spot right out of the gate. Manager Aaron Boone can approach this position battle with confidence knowing both players are more than capable of playing at the MLB level.

Boone could also play the hot-hand on any given week, but Urshela’s fantastic 2019 campaign earns him the initial start.

New York Yankees: Where does Miguel Andujar fit into the future?

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New York Yankees, Miguel Andujar

The New York Yankees enjoyed a pleasant surprise in third baseman Gio Urshela this past season, as he joined the team as a career-average player who exceeded all expectations in the Bronx.

Urshela finished up 2019 with an impressive .314 batting average with 21 homers, breaking his career highs in nearly every category. General manager Brian Cashman uncovered a lost gem in Gio, but you know what they say, you cannot make diamonds without pressure. The infielder undoubtedly rose to the occasion.

However, his presence and justifiable retention with the Yankees poses a question for youth product, Miguel Andujar, who missed nearly the entire season due to shoulder surgery on a torn labrum. Andujar was stellar during his 2018 rookie campaign, though, hitting .297 with 27 long balls and 92 RBIs and 47 doubles. His sensational start to his career all but solidified his spot on the hot corner, despite defenses woes.

Those defensive mishaps didn’t go away in 2018, and they surely didn’t alleviate this year. Gaining him back will give the Bomber and manager Aaron Boone two choices at third base, but we can assume that he will stick with Urshela for the time being. He has earned the starting job and deserves another crack at consistency.

Urshela tweaked his swing last season to increase his rate of contact, which allowed him to put the ball in play far more than in previous seasons. The Yankees helped him improve his launch angle, which saw his home run totals sky-rocket, beating his previous record by eight (14). This propelled him to a major league spot on one of the best teams in baseball, rather than scouring the minor leagues for an opportunity. Also, his defense qualities are so efficient that the Yankees cannot pull him from third base.

What can the New York Yankees do with Miguel Andujar?

Now that Miguel’s trade value has plummeted after missing an entire season of experience, it’s likely that he will remain with the club and split time on the hot corner with Urshela. Cashman could look to deal him, but one solid season won’t have teams begging for his services. The better scenario would be to help him return to form in 2020 and then look to deal him after he’s proven he can be a serviceable player once again.

Despite his nullified 2019 campaign, including him in a potential trade for a starting pitcher can’t be ruled out, either.