The New York Yankees will have some big decisions to make this offseason, but adding depth throughout the organization should not be overlooked.
Anything can happen over the course of a season, and having depth is valuable in case of injuries or players missing time for other reasons. The Yankees just lost a potential depth piece to free agency. Anthony Valazquez has elected free agency after spending last season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to his MLB.com transaction log.
Valazquez has played in the big leagues for six seasons and has appeared in 275 games. He has played shortstop, second base, third base and all three outfield spots. He has spent the most time at shortstop. He is a versatile player who could have been called upon to play multiple positions in case of injury.
Last season in Triple-A, he slashed .242/.304/.345 in 106 games. He hit five home runs and had 41 RBIs. He has not played in a big league game since 2023 with the Los Angeles Angels. He spent the 2024 season in Triple-A with the Atlanta Braves organization.
Even though he did not play for the Yankees last year, he has played for the team before. In 2021, he played 28 games for the Yankees. He has also played for the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians at the big league level. Losing Valazquez to free agency is not a season-defining situation for the Yankees. However, he would have been a solid piece to have if the team ends up dealing with a lot of injuries next year.
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