The Yankees will have a former fan favorite and their starting shortstop from the 2021 wild-card game back in Tampa next month. Andrew Velazquez, a Fordham Prep alum, signed a minor league deal with the Yankees that included an invite to spring training after two seasons with the Angels and one with Gwinnett the Braves Triple-A affiliate in 2024, The Posts Dan Martin confirmed. Near the end of the 2021 season, Velazquez blo somed into the feel-good story on a surging Yankees team after making his team debut in August as the replacement for an injured Gleyber Torres, playing 28 games the rest of the campaign and then starting their season-ending lo s to the Red Sox in October. Andrew Velazquez celebrates after hitting a home run during the Yankees game against the Twins on Aug. 21, 2021. Robert Sabo
Thomas Hatch Jersey for the NY Post He at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 21. He collected two hits and drove in a pair of runs during his first start in the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. And Velazquez, who goes by the nickname Squid, impre sed with his glove on defense while filling in for Torres. Andrew Velazquez looks to make a throw during the Yankees game on Aug. 21, 2021. Robert Sabo for the NY Post Explore More They lost him on waivers in the offseason, though, with the Angels snatching him and giving him a role in 125 games where he hit .196 with a .540 OPS during the 2022 campaign. The opportunity to play in New York, my hometown, was amazing, Velazquez . A once-in-a-lifetime experience. And the way the game works, you never know. Andrew Velazquez makes a throw during the Yankees game against the Red Sox on Aug. 18, 2021. Charles Wenzelberg When Velazquez returned to The Bronx six months later with Los Angeles, then-manager Joe Maddon and Velazquez added that there was no animosity or nothing despite losing his Yankees spot in a roster crunch in the offseason. But barring an injury, Velazquez, now 30, doesnt nece sarily have a clear path back to shortstop or the Yankees MLB roster this time. Go beyond the box score with the Bombers Sign up for Inside the Yankees by Greg Joyce, exclusively on Sports+. Thank you By clicking above you agree to the and . Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Anthony Volpe, still in the minors when Velazquez cracked the Yankees roster, appeared in 159 and 160 games during his first two MLB seasons. But hell provide some depth for a team with some questions in the middle of the infield in the wake of Torres departure to Detroit as a free agent. Oswald Peraza is out of minor league options, and another potential depth piece, Caleb Durbin, was , in exchange for reliever Devin Williams. Jorbit Vivas, who was briefly called up to the majors last season, but didnt see any action, is also in the mix. The Velazquez signing was first reported by the YES Network.
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