According to Ben Krimmel of the SNY, the Yankees have struck a deal with veteran infielder Rougned Odor for a minor league contract. Under this agreement, Odor, represented by BHSC, retains the option to opt out of the contract if he hasn’t been promoted to the roster by July 1. Odor’s previous stint with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball ended recently with his release, paving the way for his return to the Yankees.
Yankees and Rougned Odor reach agreement on Minor League contract
This marks Odor’s second tenure with the Yankees. During the 2021 season, the now 30-year-old infielder posted a batting line of .202/.286/.379 with 15 home runs in 361 plate appearances. Since then, Odor has also played for the Orioles and Padres. It is anticipated that he will join the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team in hopes of earning his way back to the major leagues.
Despite boasting three 30-homer seasons in the past, Odor’s offensive performance has declined notably since his earlier years with the Rangers. From 2015 to 2019, he maintained a batting line of .238/.295/.445 (95 wRC+), although his high strikeout rate and low on-base percentages were noted. Although his numbers against right-handed pitchers remain strong, his performance against lefties has been less impressive, making him less effective against same-handed opponents.
The Yankees currently face infield injuries, with DJ LeMahieu sidelined longer than anticipated due to a foot fracture and Oswald Peraza undergoing a six-to-eight-week shutdown for a shoulder strain. The recent acquisition of utilityman Jon Berti from the Marlins has helped alleviate the situation, but further injuries could leave the team thin on infield options. In light of this, the addition of Odor provides experienced depth despite his recent decline in MLB productivity.
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