Pirates get Miguel Andujar for free four years after trying to trade for him

Monday September 26, 2022

The Pirates sought Miguel Andujar in 2018 but the Yankees refused to trade. Four years later, the Dominican is moving to Pittsburgh for free, as New York no longer needs him.

The third baseman and left fielder was put on waivers by the Yankees last Thursday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates picked him up on Sunday. Through rule, Miguel Andujar will take up a spot on the Pirates’ 40-man roster, and he probably joined their active roster for the last week of the 2022 regular season.

Miguel Andujar joined the Yankees in 2011 and was given a debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees in 2012. Two seasons later, he was in the Class A South Atlantic League. His performance led him to the Tampa Yankees in 2015 and into the postseason roaster of the Yankees in 2016. He got his Double-A chance with the RailRiders in the 2017 season and was called into the MLB lineup after just seven games after the Yankees were forced to move their designated hitter Matt Holliday to the injured list.

In 2018, Andujar was a standout rookie third baseman for the Yankees, but a ruptured labrum on the first weekend of 2019 kicked off a downward spiral that has resulted in a lot of time on the injured list and Triple-A over the last several seasons.

In a strange twist, the Pirates got Miguel Andujar for free after trying to trade for him in 2018 when they were trying to get rid of their star pitcher Gerrit Cole.

Cole was traded to the Houston Astros after Andujar was said to be off limits. But before the 2020 season, the Yankees signed Cole for a record-setting deal. Two years later, the pitcher continues to remain in the lineup while Andujar was sent on assignment.

Miguel Andujar, who is 27, played in 27 games for the Yankees this season. He started 18 games in left field and 6 as the Yankees’ designated hitter. He hit .229 and hit one home run. In 71 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Triple-A, he hit .271 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI.

Will Andujar get a career turnaround in Pittsburgh?