Miguel Andujar has missed two chances to be called up. Aaron Boone does a flip-flop. Is there something the Yankees aren’t telling us?
Only a month ago, Miguel Andujar was flying high on Aaron Boone’s radar. A column written on July 10 has Boone gushing with enthusiasm about Andujar’s play and work habits. Asked about Andujar, Boone told the New York Daily News:
“I don’t know,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said when asked about his plan for Andujar. “I think you guys have gathered just from talking to me about how excited I’ve been with his work in the corner outfield spots, not only this winter but then transitioning into spring and then what we’ve ever seen in some game action.”
The Yankees plan was simple. Get this guy as many at-bats as we can. Play him somewhere – but play him.
Miguel Andujar And The “Right” Role
That was then; this is now two days after Thairo Estrada was called over Andujar as a replacement for Aaron Judge (IL – calf injury) with Boone once again speaking to the NY Daily News:
“I just feel like the role right now that we want to fill, I feel like Thairo fills that role right now,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I feel like with the rotation we have going and the at-bats that we’ll have moving forward this week [there’s] probably not a lot of regular at-bats yet available. I just feel like Thairo is that guy that kind of gives us the coverage and is a little more accustomed to the role.”
If this isn’t spin, then what is it? In this context, Boone’s use of words like just and kind of doesn’t portray a man convinced of what he is saying.
Miguel Andujar: Is He A Good Fit On The Yankees
So, if Miguel Andujar is not the right fit for the role the Yankees want to fill now, then what exactly is the role Andujar has with the team, if any, at this point.
Andujar is off to a less than promising start to the 2020 season with a batting average of .071 while appearing in five of the Yankees eighteen games.
Is that it, the Yankees feel Andujar has forgotten how to hit? If that’s the case, then maybe the Yankees should take a closer look at their Golden Boy, Gary Sanchez, who just recently brought his BA over the .100 mark and is still striking out in half of his at-bats.
No, there’s something going on here, and we can’t be getting the full story from Aaron Boone.
The trade deadline is fifteen days away – could that be it?
This is not the way a team typically showcases a player to attract interest from other teams.
The Yankees are reportedly in the market for a starting pitcher, given the inconsistency of James Paxton and J.A. Happ.
The original plan was to nuance the rookies like Clarke Schmidt and Mike King into the rotation. Easier said than done, though, in a season that’s a sprint instead of a marathon.
Whatever the case, Miguel Andujar, according to Boone, is taking the punches, working hard, and in a good mental state.
Does Father Know Best?
There’s something to be said for the Yankees way of doing things, and it’s still possible Miguel Andujar is being tested in the same manner Clint Frazier has been put through the wringer since his arrival as a first-round draft pick of Cleveland Indians.
Miguel Andujar may indeed be a man without a position. Gio Ursula has solidified and answered all questions about his right to a place in the Yankees lineup at third base.
It’s an odd circumstance for both the Yankees and Miguel Andujar.
Aaron Boone insists he is making the right moves for the betterment of the team.
His track record to date is indisputable.
The mystery remains – what changed in the short span of a few weeks?
Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal.
