Miguel Andujar remains an option in free agency for a team looking to improve its right-handed depth, and the Yankees could benefit from adding him to the offense.
They’re reportedly looking for someone who can play the outfield and also provide some work at first base, which Andujar has the ability to do and has even played left field at Yankee Stadium before.
He doesn’t provide much defensive value, but he does crush left-handed pitching reliably and could be the exact kind of addition the Yankees need for their bench.
It would be a reunion that continues to channel the spirit of running it back, but does this kind of signing make more sense than some of the other right-handed bats out there?
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Why Miguel Andujar Might Be A Perfect Fit For the Yankees
Miguel Andujar has quietly been an excellent right-handed platoon bat, providing steady offense against left-handed pitching which could work perfectly in a bench role for the Yankees.
He owns a .374/.406/.560 slashline with in the last three seasons against lefties with a career 121 wRC+ in those matchups.
When evaluating his versatility, he doesn’t provide above-average defense anywhere on the diamond but can hold his own in left field and play some first base in a pinch as well.
The Yankees are looking for a right-handed bat who can either play the outfield or first base according to numerous reports, including the latest by Brendan Kuty of The Athletic.
Evaluating the free agent market, I would consider Paul Goldschmidt the safest bet to provide offense and field a primary position well since he hits the ball hard and makes good swing decisions.
He does have incredible collapse risk compared to Miguel Andujar due to his age, and compared to bats like Austin Slater or Randal Grichuk, I might slighly prefer the Yankees’ former top prospect over them.
Slater is the best defensive player of the group and has both OF and 1B versatility with a safer defensive skillset than Andujar, but the bat has waned in the last couple of seasons.
His strong Expected OPS against lefties this past year has me confident he can hit against southpaws, but he’s lost tons of bat speed since 2023 and the 2024 season saw Slater really scuffle from a results and process front against LHP.
Miguel Andujar’s expected numbers indicate he’s been the beneficiary of good luck which I don’t fully disagree with, a .418 BABIP over the last three years vs LHP is just not remotely sustainable.
These underlying metrics are still above-average, a .764 xOPS over the last three years vs LHP is slightly higher than Amed Rosario’s (.757 xOPS) in that same timespan.
I like the aggressive approach that Miguel Andujar has at the plate and his very high contact rates are appealing too since he would just provide another difficult at-bat for lefties on the mound.
The issue I could see popping up for the Yankees is the fact that Andujar received a one-year $5 million contract from the Athletics last year, which might allow him to get a raise from that number.
If he’s notably more expensive than Paul Goldschmidt or Austin Slater, I would expect the Yankees to end up with those cheaper options.
Furthermore, Andujar might be able to land a starting job, similar to what we saw with Austin Hays who went to the White Sox in pursuit of everyday reps.
We can’t know what Miguel Andujar is prioritizing or what teams are offering him in terms of playing time, but if the market is in the right spot for the Yankees to land him, I’d really like this addition for the bench.