Yankees: Insider’s take on Miguel Andujar trade status will confuse NYY fans

A Yankees insider believes the club isn’t going to trade Miguel Andujar.

With the Subway Series canceled this weekend after two members of the Mets tested positive for the coronavirus, there’s been more time than usual for Yankees fans to analyze the state of the roster, which is currently ransacked with injuries.

The prominent talking points have concerned the likes of Clarke Schmidt, who bizarrely hasn’t been promoted in the wake of the latest injured list designations, as well as Miguel Andujar, who was demoted for the second time this month in light of his most recent struggles. For this conversation, we’ll focus on the latter.

It absolutely stinks admitting it, but the 25-year-old looks completely lost right now — almost like he’s trying to do too much to prove himself. Without a real position and having a pedestrian glove (at best), he’s been largely deployed as a designated hitter. Unfortunately, his .095 batting average has made it nearly impossible for manager Aaron Boone to play him.

All of this has prompted scouts and fans to believe that New York should swallow its pride and trade Andujar for assets. However, one insider claimed the club isn’t ready to give up on the former stud just yet.

“Andujar has been assigned to the alternate site twice already because he hasn’t hit while being asked to be a bench player for the first time in his professional career,” George King wrote in his latest mailbag column for the New York Post. “Hence, his trade value is low.”“The Yankees still believe his bat is legit, but as long as Gio Urshela continues to shine at third, there is no position for Andujar, who isn’t a big league outfielder. With options remaining, I believe the Yankees aren’t ready to give up on a bat that only needs playing time to produce.”

We don’t disagree with that analysis, but the one glaring issue with it comes in the final sentence. If Andujar isn’t receiving consistent playing time now with Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and DJ LeMahieu all on the shelf, when is he going to get it?

The Dominican Republic native has a more aggressive approach at the plate than most big leaguers and simply needs to see live pitching everyday. Getting three or four at-bats one game, then riding the bench for a handful of consecutive contests is never going to work for him.

The Yankees could easily look foolish down the road for trading Andujar (if they do), but if he isn’t given a real opportunity to break out of his slump, we honestly don’t see the point in keeping him around. There’s no doubting he’s in his own head, but the club isn’t exactly helping matters, either.