The Yankees added another left-handed outfielder on Thursday, signing Luis González to a minor-league deal.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was first to report the signing, a contract that includes an invitation to major-league spring training.
González, 28, has played in 107 big-league games since 2020 with the White Sox and Giants, hitting .253/.328/.363 over 363 plate appearances. The bulk of González’s playing time came in 2022 with San Francisco, a rookie season that featured a .252 batting average, a .683 OPS and four home runs over 98 games.
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Back issues kept González on the injured list multiple times in 2022, wiping away an encouraging start to the year. His back problems didn’t go away over that winter either. González didn’t play in a big-league game all year in 2023, undergoing back surgery in March. He returned from the procedure in July, but after 27 games with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate, San Francisco designated him for assignment. He was released in September, heading directly into free agency.
For the Yankees, González brings depth at a position that’s been reinforced with multiple high-profile trades this winter. Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham were all acquired this offseason. Oscar Gonzalez, a righty bat with some upside, was claimed off waivers by the Yankees as well, added to the club’s 40-man roster.
With youngsters Everson Pereira and Oswaldo Cabrera also competing for playing time, González is in line to begin next season in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The best-case scenario is González recaptures the form he flashed early on during his rookie season — the former third-round pick slashed .347/.384/.485 over his first 31 games, winning National League Rookie of the Month in May. He’ll be part of the next line of defense if the Yankees are hit with a wave of injuries at any point in 2024.
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