Former Yankees fan favorite Didi Gregorius posts cryptic (worrisome?) IG message

Didi Gregorius left the New York Yankees for greener (read: more money-filled) pastures with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020, but that doesn't mean this fan base will ever forget him.

The Team Netherlands spark plug was given the certainly unenviable and nearly impossible task of succeeding Derek Jeter at shortstop, and he developed into someone who could do so with aplomb, even in October's biggest moments. Gregorius' 2017 Wild Card Game three-run home run and 2019 ALDS grand slam rank among the highlights of this title-free modern era of Yankees baseball, and his UCL tear -- suffered during the ALDS against the 2018 Red Sox -- certainly felt indicative of this era's tradition of painful (and undeserved) endings.

Gregorius' MLB playing days appear to have ceased; he played 23 Triple-A games in the Mariners' system during the 2023 season, following the unceremonious end of his time with the Philadelphia Phillies. Since the conclusion of last year's campaign, he's been involved with a Dubai-based baseball league, which has also partnered with the likes of Robinson Cano and Bartolo Colon.

Contextually, that doesn't really help explain the shortstop's most recent Instagram post. Known for his drawings and photography during good times with the Yankees, Gregorius' upload of an "Image Unavailable" error feels a bit ominous.

Former Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius makes ominous Instagram post?

Would love to be misreading this.

There were undercooked rumors of discontentment spreading during Gregorius' final season with the Yankees, when it seemingly became clearer every day that he'd be allowed to test the waters in free agency and make a more prudent financial decision for himself elsewhere. Beyond some brief, unsubstantiated touchstones, though, no one ever said a bad word about the affable shortstop during his time in the Bronx. He developed into quite a player, as well as quite a mensch.

Hopefully, any "deeper meaning" to this error doesn't involve his passion for the game, artwork, photography, or any of the other unique hobbies that made him him dissipating over time.

Or ... maybe it's actually just an error message, in which case ... egg has dripped down onto my keyboard, transported by the crevices of my face.