Yankees bring back infielder Andrew Velazquez According to Jack Curry of the YES Network, he signed a minor league contract with a non-roster spring training invitation. The CAA client is a Bronx native who plays for his hometown team in 2021.
Velazquez, 30, has played for five teams in six seasons of his major league career. Nearly half of his playing time in 2023 came as a member of the Angels. He batted .196 and had an on-base percentage of .236, but he was outstanding defensively in over 900 innings at shortstop. His defensive production declined the next year, and the Angels cut him that September.
He had brief stints with the Rays, Cleveland, Orioles and Yankees before playing nearly two years in Orange County. Four years ago, Velazquez appeared in 28 games in pinstripes and batted .224. He played all of last season in Triple-A with the Braves after signing an offseason minor league deal. Although he hit 16 home runs and stole 33 bases, his overall offensive performance was mediocre. Velasquez struck out .242/.298/.394 in nearly one-third of 473 games with Atlanta’s top affiliate.
Velazquez has a career batting average of .189/.244/.293 and played 624 games in the major leagues. His glove is a selling point. He has pitched nearly 1,500 innings in the major leagues at shortstop. Last year, Velazquez played the center infield position and all three outfield positions in Triple-A. He will likely start next season at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as a versatile depth option.
