Didi Gregorius, the former Yankees shortstop who would tell Anthony Volpe a thing or two about dealing with the long Hall of Fame shadow of Derek Jeter, could be headed back to the majors. The former Bronx fan favorite was signed to a minor-league contract by the Seattle Mariners.
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The announcement came from Algodoneros de Unión Laguna, the Mexican League club for which Gregorius had been playing. Gregorius’ deal contains a $1.5M base salary if he makes the major-league roster, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com.
In March, Gregorius was getting “looked at” by the Kansas City Royals, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, but he had not received an offer from any major-league club.
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Gregorius, 33, who struggled in his previous two major-league seasons, was released by the Phillies in August of last season. Without a contract from an MLB team, he played in the Mexican League and has hit .359/.431/.777 through 26 games.
He also made an appearance in the World Baseball Classic with Netherlands and had a key hit in a stunning upset of Cuba.
Gregorius followed Jeter and became a favorite with Yankees fans for his clutch hitting, slick fielding and his social media engagement. He hit.269/.313/.446 with the Yankees from 2015 to 2019, and displayed surprising power.
He signed in free agency with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he played for former Yankees manager Joe Girardi before he was fired. Gregorius’ performance in Philadelphia declined as he hit just .210/.267/.345 over 2021 to 2022, leading to his release.
The Mariners are struggling on offense, especially second baseman Kolten Wong, who is a dismal .153/.246/.178. He is dead last in some MLB offensive categories.
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