Yankees insider thinks awkward reunion would be perfect flourish to finish offseason

What outcome would be more awkward: the Yankees reuniting with Miguel Andújar after the way the two sides split back in 2022, or the Yankees entering the season with Jasson Domínguez on the bench after they explored every avenue to replace him?

Come to think of it, despite the "next Mickey Mantle" hype, there isn't much difference between the tales of Andújar and Domínguez after all. Both were promoted to immense fanfare and justified their arrivals. Both suffered shocking injuries out of nowhere that dimmed their respective lights. Both ended up awkwardly shoved into left field as a last resort.

Now, Domínguez probably needs a fresh start and Andújar, who already got one and can still mash, might be the one to dethrone him.

Yankees insider Joel Sherman's exhaustive search for a right-handed bench bat led him back to Andújar this week, who's available for cash alone and could certainly provide a bigger splash than the dregs of the righty catcher market. There are even decision-makers in the Yankees room who reportedly "love" the player. But would Andújar entertain it? And where was that love when his previous Yankees tenure fizzled and he was cast aside? These are the same decision makers, after all.

Yankees tied to old friend Miguel Andújar by insider Joel Sherman

It was bombs away for Andújar last season, who split time between the Athletics and Cincinnati Reds. His offense approached 2018 Rookie of the Year runner-up levels (to that Ohtani joker), as he hit .318 with an .822 OPS, 25% higher than the league-average mark. That's the highest full-season batting average of his career and second-highest OPS behind his freshman arrival.

The defense? Still not his strong suit; all that offense was only worth 0.8 bWAR because of it. Still, the Yankees are entertaining a defense-deficient option at the moment. If they're willing to take the hit with Domínguez, maybe they'd also willingly absorb it for a more proven offensive commodity with more versatility? Andújar also levels up against left-handers (.995 OPS against southpaws in 2024 with a .411 average, .986/.389 last year). When deployed correctly, he could be quite a nice fit (and could slide onto the infield dirt from time to time, though that seems to be Amed Rosario's territory too).

Of course, he didn't exactly leave the Bronx on the best terms; the Yankees unceremoniously DFA'd him late in the 2022 season after ignoring an early June trade request. What was the Yankees' plan for him? They seemingly didn't have one after Gio Urshela emerged in 2019, giving them all the defense and clutch hitting they'd dreamed of while Andújar dealt with his busted shoulder. They were more than happy to get a convenient solution for managing his powerful bat and hiding his problematic defense.

Now, he might be the most proficient lefty masher left on the market, and the desperation tables have turned.