New York Yankees sign former SF Giants outfielder to minors pact

A former SF Giants outfielder is on the move. Luis González has agreed to a minor league deal with the New York Yankees according Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal includes a camp invite.

New York Yankees sign former SF Giants outfielder to minors pact

At one point, it felt like the Giants really found something in González and they liked what he brought to the table. He was originally claimed off of waivers from the Chicago White Sox in 2021.

The left-handed bat underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in 2021. Instead of placing him on the 60-day injured list, the White Sox placed him on waivers. The Giants scooped him up, knowing that he would miss the remainder of that season.

González did receive a modest financial benefit while accruing service time thanks to this maneuver by the Giants. He re-signed with the Giants in the following offseason and put together a strong spring training in 2022.

The 28-year-old was added to the active roster early in that season and instantly made an impact. This included winning Rookie of the Month honors in May of that season after posting a .910 OPS in 83 plate appearances.

He remained a fixture in the lineup despite declining production as the season progressed. Overall, he slashed .254/.323/.360 (95 OPS+) with four home runs, 36 RBI, and 31 runs in 350 plate appearances. This included an 8.6 percent walk rate, 21.4 percent strikeout rate, and a .106 ISO.

Unfortunately, the speedy outfielder underwent back surgery in spring training this year that put him on the shelf for the first half of the season. He returned midway through, but it was apparent that he had fallen down on the depth chart. He was outrighted off of the 40-man roster in August and released by the organization in September.

González did put up a solid .355 on-base percentage in 110 plate appearances with Sacramento before getting released. He has a knack for reaching base, but it is hard to stick as an everyday outfielder due to well below-average power.

The Yankees will have a crowded outfielder group, headlined by Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. That would be a tough rotation to crack, but the Yankees will need to rely on their depth at some point.