(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Shohei Ohtani entered the league in 2018 and he was, naturally, chosen as the American League Rookie of the Year.
He was a deserving recipient of the award back then.
However, it’s easy to forget that there was a rookie on the New York Yankees that had an incredibly impressive offensive season in 2018.
It was Miguel Andujar, and he was good enough to finish as the runner-up in that 2018 AL ROY race.
That year, Andujar hit .297 with a .855 OPS, 47 doubles, 27 home runs, and 92 RBI.
He looked like one of the most promising hitters in the American League.
Injuries marked the start of his decline, though.
A few years later, he found himself struggling for plate appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates and as of this week, on Tuesday, the Oakland Athletics are taking another chance on him.
“The Oakland A’s are claiming Miguel Andujar off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates,” MLB insider Robert Murray tweeted.
The Oakland A’s are claiming Miguel Andujar off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) November 6, 2023
Andujar actually wasn’t bad in limited MLB action this past season with the Pirates.
He hit .250/.300/.476 with four homers and 18 RBI in 30 games, plus a .776 OPS.
No, he is not the same guy who had that stellar season in 2018, but perhaps with regular at-bats, he can return somewhere in the neighborhood of a .770-.790 OPS.
There is another problem: he is not a good defensive third baseman.
He is also not a very good outfielder and profiles better as a designated hitter.
For the talent-starved A’s, however, he might be a worthy gamble for the cost of nothing but a waiver claim.
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