After being demoted last week and issuing a trade request, disgruntled Yankee Miguel Andújar has reported to the team’s Triple-A affiliate.
The 27-year-old found himself buried behind several other options on the team’s depth chart, and has appeared in just 12 contests in this year prior to his demotion to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. In 43 plate appearances, the 6th-year pro recorded 11 hits and struck out 7 times, while posting a .268/.279/.317 stat line.
After news broke about his pending relegation to the minors, Andújar asked manager Aaron Boone for a trade to a different franchise, according to multiple reports. The manager called the demotion “a tough numbers game” caused by the squad looking to keep their team under the 26-man roster limit.
“Miggy’s a great guy,” Boone said. “That’s a difficult option, understanding that he’s a big part of what we’ve done here, and certainly wants to be here. So I understand that’s a tough one.”
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It’s not clear how seriously the Yankees are considering honoring that request, or which fellow MLB teams would be interested in bringing on the struggling switch-man.
Gary Sanhez, Andújar’s former New York Yankees teammate, who now plays for the Twins, opted to defend the disgruntled Bronx Bomber, saying he “deserves” to remain in the majors.
“My opinion, it’s time for them or any other team to give him an opportunity,” Sanchez told reporters through an interpreter. “He deserves to play in the big leagues.”
Meanwhile, at least temporarily, Andújar now leaves the MLB-leading Yankees with their 40–16 record, and heads to the RailRiders in central Pennsylvania, who boast the worst record, at 19–36, in the Triple-A.
