Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made some waves on Thursday morning when, in an article published by former Yankees beat writer Andy McCullough in The Athletic, he was quoted as saying the following about the Yankees’ World Series drought, and specifically their two recent ALCS losses to the Astros:
“The only thing that stopped [us] was something that was so illegal and horrific, so I get offended when I start hearing we haven’t been to the World Series since ’09. Because I’m like, ‘Well, I think we actually did it the right way.’ Pulled it down, brought it back up. Drafted well, traded well, developed well, signed well. The only thing that derailed us was a cheating circumstance that threw us off.”
The issue with the timing? Marwin Gonzalez, who had a career season as a utility player on the 2017 Astros, is in Yankees camp on a minor-league deal, and has put up excellent numbers that may earn him a spot on the Opening Day roster as a utility player.
“In seeing what we’re seeing physically, it makes you think that last year was just a blip, a bad year,” manager Aaron Boone said of Gonzalez earlier this week. “He’s just having really good at bats right now and moving around the diamond.”
Boone made that statement after another strong game from Gonzalez on Tuesday, one that left him 6-for-11 (.545) with three home runs and nine RBI in four games started at four different positions – even as he qualified it by saying “it’s only March and we have to keep that in perspective.”
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Well, on Thursday, before the Yankees got ready to face the Phillies in Clearwater (where Gonzalez was hitting second and playing third base), Boone again had to answer to the Yankees’ interest in the veteran, as well as his GM’s comments about 2017:
“I think we’ve all lived through those thoughts and been through all that, so I’m not worried about that in the least,” Boone said of any concerns about the situation becoming tenuous with Gonzalez around. “We’re playing for a lot and guys know that. I love the vibe of where guys are from that level of focus. We’re trying to win a championship, and I don’t see any issue.”
The skipper also didn’t feel like there was any need to address it within the clubhouse, or have a similar sit-down to the one he mediated between Gerrit Cole and Josh Donaldson.
“I feel like Marwin has come in here and fit in well with the guys, so in this case, I don’t feel that need,” Boone said.
Gonzalez slashed .303/.377/.530 with 23 homers and 90 RBI in 134 games in 2017, all five of those numbers career highs and seemingly an outlier in a career where his individual highs, before or after that season, would equal .279/.327/.442-16-68, and his 9.5% walk rate was the second-highest of his career so far (behind a 9.6% rate in 2018).
That said, to Boone’s point, 2021 Gonzalez was a negative WAR player for the first time since his rookie year of 2021, slashing .199/.275/.304 overall in 91 games with the Red Sox and Astros to produce a -0.9 WAR per Baseball Reference.
But, also to Boone’s point, if the now-33-year-old’s true talent level lies somewhere closer to the disputed 2017-18, or even his 2019 in Minnesota (.264/.322/.414-15-55 in 114 games) than last season, he could be a huge piece for the 2022 Yankees given his versatility (extensive experience at six positions, ironically the most at shortstop) and switch-hitting pop.
As it stands, barring injury, the Yankees have nine “starters” for eight positions, leaving one marquee player on the bench every day, so a versatile left-handed or switch-hitter seems to be the perfect profile for one of the two bench spots beyond backup catcher and whichever of the nine has the day off.
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