The Yankees have signed outfielder Willie Calhoun to a minor league deal, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (Twitter link). The contract includes an invitation to New York’s big league Spring Training camp.
Formerly a top-100 prospect, Calhoun looked to be paying off that potential when he hit .269/.323/.524 with 21 homers over 337 plate appearances with the Rangers in 2019. However, Calhoun suffered a frightening injury in Spring Training 2020 when his jaw was broken by an errant Julio Urias fastball, and while the COVID-19 shutdown allowed time for Calhoun to recover in time for the delayed Opening Day, he also missed time that season with a hamstring injury.
Hopes for a fresh start in 2021 were fruitless, as Calhoun spent over three months on the injured list after his forearm was fractured by another pitch. After a slow start in 2022, the Rangers optioned Calhoun to Triple-A, which led to Calhoun openly asking for a trade and criticizing the Texas coaching staff. The Rangers did end up moving Calhoun to the Giants last June in a swap for Steven Duggar, though Calhoun spent much of his time at the Triple-A level with the San Francisco organization. Calhoun appeared in only four MLB games with the Giants before being designated for assignment and outrighted off the 40-man roster in September.
Calhoun elected to become a free agent after the season, giving him the freedom to pursue a fresh start to his career. Only entering his age-28 season, Calhoun is still arbitration-controlled through the 2024 campaign, which adds an extra bonus for the Yankees should the slugger rediscover his form.
For a left-handed hitting power bat, the short porch at Yankee Stadium would seem like a prime spot for Calhoun to get on track, even if he is a self-described “line-drive, doubles guy.” For the cost of a minor league deal, there isn’t any risk for the Yankees in seeing if they can fix Calhoun, even if his .221/.286/.335 slash line over his last 454 Major League PA doesn’t offer much promise.
Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Cabrera are New York’s top candidates for left field at the moment, with former top prospect Estevan Florial still looking for an extended audition in the majors, and Giancarlo Stanton able to occasionally chip in as an outfielder when he isn’t a designated hitter. The Yankees have been known to be exploring the market for left field help this offseason, but with options running thin, the team could opt to see if Hicks can rebound or if Cabrera can continue to play well into his sophomore season. Calhoun’s minor league deal naturally doesn’t mean the Yankees can’t still add a notable starting outfielder via free agency or the trade market, but it could hint that the Bronx Bombers may let things play out in Spring Training before deciding how hard they should push for a left field upgrade.
The Yankees have found their left fielder.
And you found your funny bone….how cute
Yeah, I definitely would say they haven’t.
Yankees value defense in LF. Calhoun is one of the worst defensive OFers in the game. He won’t be their LFer unless many things go wrong.
Lord, what could go wrong.Lol. Hicksie is here to the rescue.
Willie or willie not be a contributor…
I think you have it right, angry.
Calhoun is a good season away from being injury free.
2023 can be that season.
Willie can be ready for that break out season.
He may be pivotal in the Yankee run for the pennant.
Apparently you don’t know the Yankees very well. Unless it’s a top prospect getting playing time in New York is near impossible. In spring training Cashman will start the waiver wire shuffle with LF if Hicks doesn’t turn things around quickly. Florial still hasn’t been given a real chance. It took a couple of years before Frazier was given a chance and players like Jake Cave, Billy Hamilton, Ben Heller and Thairo Estrada were never given one. Too bad because if they did they would have Estrada starting next year and a few years after because he turned out to be solid. Oh well Cashman can just trade for him at the deadline in a couple of years.
I was wondering where he’d end up…
During this holiday season you have been sitting around pondering the fate of Willie Calhoun, nice.
HiredGun23 Is actually Willie’s mom (confirmed in a previous post) so I don’t see anything wrong with her wondering about her sons next step in life…
@HiredGun23- Yeah with a minor league contract, so this really means nothing.
Well, it means if he can get his groove back yr yanks will benefit.
You really think so? I doubt it. Expecting Florial and Cabrera out in left field in 2023.
Rangers got fleeced big time in the Darvish trade.
Not really. Darvish wasn’t really all that good for LA either. It was a lose-lose deal.
How? It was a bad deal only for Texas. Good at the time but didn’t pan out. Darvish did pretty good and helped the Dodgers. They got about what they were hoping for.
So, did Yu pitch more than 9 games for the Dodgers? Great deal for them.
Texas got at least 9 good games out of Calhoun over his 5 years. I think it balanced out.
None of the three players Texas got has amounted to anything.
Darvish’s ERA+ with the Dodgers was 121, his ERA was 3.44, and his FIP was 3.48. He was credited with 0.6 bWAR and 1.0 fWAR in his 9 games with LA, and he ranked 6th in K/9 and 20th in FIP in that 7-week period.
You can throw out his World Series numbers because he was pitching against the 2017 trashcan Astros.
Calhoun’s bWAR with the Rangers in six years is -1.6 and his career fWAR is -2.4.
The Dodgers gave up nothing and got something.
At the time, they got a top 100 prospect. Bad luck happens.
Now, if we could rewind him to 2019, we’re in business!
If we are rewinding, I would prefer to go much further back than 2019 considering the start of Covid would be just around the corner again,
That’s a perfect time. With what everyone should know by now, the lockdowns wouldn’t have happened.
Why not?
If you have to ask, you need to look in the mirror and think about what you are using for sources. Start by turning off the TV.
TurnOffTheTV you are right in certain ways, but at the time it wad called the Novel Covid-19 virus, which was why it was treated as a pandemic. The Novel part added because it means new, so all doctors, scientists, and epidemiologists knew nothing about it. It was completely uncertain who would die and how many people would succumb to the virus. That is the reason the CDC existed in the first place.
Many people did over-panic somewhat because of the incessant coverage from the media, so that added fuel to the roaring fire.
Where the CDC misfired telling people they would no longer catch Covid after the vaccination, which was obviously false. The vaccination only helps your immunity to fighting the disease and keeping the severity manageable, so people would not continue to flock to overcrowded hospitals like before the vaccine. Government officials were concerned about hospitals not having the means to treat Covid-19 and natural reasons for going to the hospital.
Those who didn’t take the vaccination are the ones who suffered the most post-vaccine. Overall a combination of the vaccine, acquired immunity and the weaker strains of existing virus is less virulent, which ultimately brought down the fatality numbers.
If it happened again, the country would go crazy again. Hopefully we no longer need China for a much as we needed them back then. China screwed up our supply chain because we were too dependent on them.
Did you take your response straight from the CDC website??? The unvaxxed are NOT the ones suffering post Vax rollout. The info is out there from all over the world. Open your eyes and turn off the TV. This take was worse than the one I initially responded to.
Try Turn of your Mouth and Turn on your Ears.
Quality response. What has the media been honest about in the last 10 years+? You want to keep believing known liars, that’s on you.
So every single thing the media says are lies? Has your TV – when it’s on – is tuned into TV-Free Russia.
Every time you open your mouth the brainwashing is more apparent.
Anyway, back to baseball…
Feel the Bern 2024
Good pickup for the Yankees – Calhoun has the potential to break out with them
Yeah.
Agree. No risk. Potential reward.
Depth or Desperation- for all the big money they spend the Yankees are big fans of those veteran Quadruple-A players they inevitably plug into a platoon like a starter-and to their credit they often get way more value out of them than they had any right to going by previous stats of those players.
And yet you make it seem like the Yankees are operating like the Pirates while ignoring that almost every team does this every single off-season.
Yeah us Yankees fans are the only ones to show mock frustration at a minor league signing. SMH.
Joe,, it’s only frustration because sometimes it seems like this will be the only move that the Yankees make. That this might be the solution for Left field.That is what is concerning. They have shown no evidence to indicate otherwise at this point. A Minor league option peace is not concerning in itself.All teams do it.
Dr I’m not worried until pitchers and catches reporting. For the moment I’ll take Hal and Cashman’s word they have more to do.
You are more optimistic than I Joe. But I pray that you are correct. I doubt Rory Calhoun is the answer though. How many times can Cashman catch lightning in a bottle. It’s a crapshoot after all. We don’t want our season to be hinged on that.
Yes, speaking of the Pirates, it definitely looks like Bryan Reynolds is going to be traded to the Mariners or the Dodgers. Unless, Pittsburgh prefers to move him before or at the deadline.
Barring several major injuries, Calhoun will probably never play in the big leagues for the Yankees. Do you grasp the concept of minor league depth?
Can also play 2B,
Take a breath. It’s a minor league contract.
WILLIE will suit up once again in NEW YORK !!
Yankees to remodel stadium to emulate the Polo Grounds !!
Yeah maybe Willie Randolph will again. Not Willie Calhoun!
SAY HEY !!
Hey captn, I think even Rory Calhoun would be better than Hicks at this point.
Now THAT I would like to see!
I could see him turning into a short porch merchant. His 2019 spray chart fits Yankee stadium perfectly
I’d view anything from 2019 with skepticism. With the juiced ball that year everything was overinflated.
Fair point. But they would have received pick #36 at best and honestly out of the next 20 picks, there was Jake McCarthy, Kris Bubic and not much else. So in theory they could have gotten something better, but in reality there was very little chance of a better return than Calhoun and friends.
After watching Aaron Hicks embarass himself on a regular basis throughout 2022 I’d literally be more confident with Willie in LF.
I’d be more confident leaving LF wide open than having Aaron Hicks man it.
Clipper I got a question.
Considering dollar amount and/or prospect cost: who would you rather have (I’m leaving Reynolds out of this one for obvious reasons) McCarthy, Kepler, Profar or Austin Meadows?
Great question! Tough question. On face value, I’d say Austin Meadows. Sacrifice a bit defensively, but the offense is probably the best out of all the players. Profar would be close but his inconsistency concerns me. McCarthy is unproven, but I’d still almost rather give him a shot, depending on prospect cost. He’s young and has speed. So, I think for overall value-cost rating it would be:
Meadows
McCarthy (depending on cost he may be #3)
Profar
Kepler (His numbers are too similar to Hicks for me)
I would prefer most to attempt to acquire Ian Happ if Reynolds proves to be too much. He’s in his contract year so I don’t think he’s be anywhere near Reynolds. I’d also consider Alek Thomas of the DBacks as well as an interchangeable piece with McCarthy.
What about you?
@Joe says… All I want for New Years is Bryan Reynolds in leftfield.
I think we are of like minds on this including Happ. I can’t make up my mind on if I think Happ is available. The Cubs are hard to read.
Reynolds would be awesome. I doubt it happens but it would be awesome.
I agree, Joe. I don’t think the Cubs have clear direction either. To me they’ve had a confusing offseason. I think that Happ only becomes available as a trade deadline acquisition if/when the Cubs determine they’re not in serious competition for division/playoffs. They may offer an extension, but I don’t think they will re-sign him via FA, as has been the case with nearly all their veterans.
The Cubs are not competing in 2023, so Ian Happ should be available via trade. The Yankees have all the right pieces to make a trade. Happ fits the Yankees to a tee, and is much cheaper then Bryan Reynolds, who may not even get traded yet. Probably closer to the deadline.
Clipper, Meadows would be a good pick up. He has always been good. Other than last year, when he was mostly injured. The only question I would have is can he perform in the pressure cooker of the Yankees, after playing in Tampa with the rays, no pressure, no fans.
Yeah, that is a concern, as always, Doc.
True words clip . I get your point.
Yanks seem to luck out with these type of signings, don’t be shocked if he sticks.
A Willie Calhoun/Aaron Hicks platoon in LF for the Yanks (might be better off Kole Calhoun…)
No Hicks will likely not be on the Yankees by opening day. It will likely be Cabrera, Florial or Kepler out there in left field. Calhoun could also get a shot.
Where do you think he’s going to go captain, Yankees not gonna release him and just eat his 30 million. Even though they should. That is not their history. And who would take him, he’s a train wreck. In order to move in the Yankees would have to eat a substantial amount of his money in which case they’re better off just keeping him for depth.
Yeah Doc, the Yankees are definitely not paying $30 mill to release Hicksy. My guess he will traded, and half of that contract will be picked up. Hicksy wouldn’t be a bad backup for a club for the next couple of years at $7.5 mill annually, especially with the fact he could play left or center and switch hit. My guess he will get dealt to the Twinkies with Clarke Schmidt/Domingo German in a Max Kepler trade.
I hope you are right captain. I do not want to see him on the Yankees. I mean, I wouldn’t mind him as a fourth or fifth outfielder, but you know Boone will use him as a regular outfielder, unless he gets injured, or is attacked by outraged Yankee fans again.
Besides, if the Yankees can can move him, and at least thereby reduce some of their payroll or salary tax hit, it will open up some room for them to make a move probably at the trade deadline. We know that they do not want to exceed the third luxury tax threshold, the penalties for that or stiff indeed. Something like 95%.
Yankees are not eating Hicks salary. If you look at their recent trade history they try to get other teams to pay for the incoming player. Zero chance they just throw $30 million (minus the prorated league minimum) out the window
@Rsox- if the Yankees want to trade Hicks they are definitely going to have to eat at least half of his salary, that most likely will be the best way to trade him. They can deal him with prospects, or have him go as a throw in somewhere. Torres, Hicks and a prospect could go for a leftfielder. The Yankees are just trying to make sure DJ’s toe is alright lst, before trading Gleyber.
The best possible option is highly improbable (Reynolds). But, I do wonder what the Cubs will require for Ian Happ during his contract year; and although I don’t expect it to be cheap, I think he will be cheaper than Reynolds.
He’s like a better version of Benny….
@Clipper- the best option for the Cubs is to trade Happ to the Yankees right now. Pereira, Thorpe/Warren and Schmidt/German, will likely get it done. My NL team are the Cubs, this trade definitely will help them be able to compete in a few years, and helps the Yankees right now.
Cool, man. I could see that. Warren is quickly rising through the ranks and Pereira is also a future MLB contributor with pop. Add Schmidt in there and that’s a decent package for a team. Schmidt can slot into quite a few rotations around the league already so it makes sense depending on the competition for Happ’s services.
I saw a nice review on Warren at PSA and was pretty impressed. His stuff is pretty nasty.
Yankees are most definitely not trading that much for a year of Ian Happ.
It’s a bit heavy for sure, but I don’t know they will have a choice if they don’t address LF before the season starts.
I have a feeling that Cashman is going to wait until the trade deadline and put himself in a Gallo-like overpay position. He has a strong tendency to do that.
I don’t see the Cubs trading him (yet) as they’re trying to sneak into a playoffs berth. They may actually add at the deadline if they’re close.
@Mystery Team- the Yankees could always sign Ian Happ to an extension lst, before making the trade with the Cubs.
@BleacherCreature- Trust me, little chance to no chance, the Cubs are getting in the playoffs in 2023. The Yankees can trade some nice pieces for this team to get in the playoffs in 2024. It’s possible.
Clipper, I would not mind at all seeing Schmidt leave. To me he has been overhyped, and a big disappointment. Every time he comes into a game he usually gives up the tying a go ahead runs. At some point. Some of that might be the situation she’s erroneously brought into, or Boones poor management, as well I’m not sure which but probably a combination of all of it.
I would rather bet on Pereira if I’m the Yankees. He’s getting better as he climbs the system. Like him or not German can pitch and I’m thinking the Yankees also believe he’ll be much better this season after getting back into the groove late last season. Ian Happ hasn’t done anything I wouldn’t trade German straight up for him never mind that haul. His under .800 career OPS doesn’t really impress me I think Oswaldo Cabrera will take that job in spring training the Yankees should just stand pat. I literally just posted the other day that I would love Reynolds but I’ve since done a 180 on that as well. You gotta hit on some young guys to be successful and they’ve already spent an absolute ton. Cabrera has more than earned serious consideration for that spot.
@Clipper I hope they do wait because I think Cabrera will take that job in the spring and I think he’ll do it easily. He came up last year and all he did was play good ball. He has a good bat with some pop oh and he’s cheaper than cheap. You can’t have $20M to $30M players at every spot or you’ll be the Mets with a half a billion dollar payroll by the end of the season. Making no money and winning no title it’ll just be Steve Cohen sitting there with his you know what in his hand. I love the Yankee’s current system it’s absolutely loaded with SS and people can sleep on the pitching if they want but they have some good pieces in Gomez and Vasquez and also Brendan Beck from Stanford with that Tommy John in the bag early on could be a sneaky good pitching prospect. Like Cashman or not he’s got that team in order from the bottom up right now. Yes there are mistakes like Hicks but at least he isn’t trying to give Carlos Correa $300M over 12 or 13 years.
Cubs, at least right now, have a viable chance at contention in the NL Central. If Happ is dealt it probably won’t be until the trade deadline if the Cubs are out of the playoff picture
@Rsox- the Cubs could get a lot more for Happ right now, they are not making the playoffs in 2023. It doesn’t make sense to keep him.
He breaks camp on the 26 man roster and becomes the starting LF by end of May. That short porch is going to do him very well in the Bronx.
Calhoun will do Carpenter job
It’s important to foster a sense of urgency/competition for a starting job sometimes. The Yankees probably have no intention to start him but this allows Cabrera and Hicks to not get too comfortable.
Hicks doesn’t need to be comfortable regardless. Cabrera is likely the super utility guy.
I doubt Hicks is back with the Yankees in 2023. If he is, he will be a 10/5 player, and nobody wants that. I expect a Florial/Cabrera platoon in leftfield. We’ll see.
yankees’ pro scouting department kicks butt i won’t be shocked if calhoun pulls a 2019 mike tauchman act
For any stats junkies reading. If I wanted to understand his defensive metrics (and compare with others) – what are the best metrics to look at on BRef?
I wouldn’t look at B-Ref. I’d look at Fangraphs and Statcast. B-Ref might have more defensive metrics if you pay for a subscription, but I wouldn’t know. The ones that are available without a subscription aren’t all that useful to me, but the most useful, I suppose, would be Rtot/yr and Rdrs/yr.
Fangraphs offers a wider selection of metrics including Statcast’s Outs Above Average (OAA) and Fielding Runs Prevented Above Average (RAA), so it’s easier to get an overall picture by comparing multiple metrics in one place. But be prepared to encounter some contradictions, because quite often the metrics don’t agree. Defensive metrics are iffy, compared to pitching and hitting metrics. The act of fielding a ball in play is just harder to quantify.
Thanks FP – appreciate the direction/suggestion.
Or you can do yourself a favor by ignoring metrics and leaving them to the only ones who care: coaches and managers.
Or maybe he wants to put his critical thinking skills to use instead of being told what to think or not.
Zero risk move. And could payoff.
I don’t understand the hostility from some folks. This is a minor league contract. If you get 1 MLB at bat from a walk-on guy you’ve succeeded.
“AAAA” depth is necessary and seems like a true AAAA player, with a little bit of potential based on 2019s performance.
I hate the Yankees because they’ve been so successful historically. But I think this is a great move. Zero risk with a chance of a part time player and maybe even a platoon regular.
Great no risk pickup… You can never have enough depth.
huh, underrated move here. Like zero risk and possibly all reward.
Most likely zero Risk and zero reward.
Then worth the risk.
Unless all the metrics are meaningless, this guy is a butcher in the field.
A spring training performance tells you nothing useful. Remember how Higgy raked in spring training with 7 home runs? In the regular season, he was still the same old Higgy.
Also, Calhoun’s saga with the Rangers in 2022 suggests a high-maintenance personality who was hard to coach and manage:
mlbtraderumors.com/2022/05/willie-calhoun-wants-to…
‘For a left-handed hitting power bat, the short porch at Yankee Stadium would seem like a prime spot for Calhoun to get on track, even if he is a self-described “line-drive, doubles guy.”’
Calhoun offered that self-description in the context of disagreeing with his hitting coaches and blaming them for his failures.
‘Calhoun’s issues with the organization have clearly been building for a while, as he told Weaver that “I’ve been wanting out for the last year, year and a half. I feel like I need a change of scenery.”
‘However, Calhoun also wasn’t pleased with how Rangers hitting coaches both old and new (Tim Hyers and assistant coach Seth Conner were hired over the offseason) tried to alter his swing and approach. “I don’t agree with some of the hitting philosophies from the new guys,” Calhoun said. “I don’t process that (information) too well. I’m not 6-4, 230 pounds; I can’t hit pop-up home runs. I don’t have that leverage.”
‘Rangers manager Chris Woodward told reporters Sunday the team wanted Calhoun “to work a little bit more vertical with his swing,” but Calhoun said this clashed with his ideal approach as the “line-drive, doubles guy” he was during his time in the Dodgers farm system.’
If he’s a “doubles guy,” he probably wouldn’t like Yankee Stadium, a park that suppresses doubles.
I thought they meant Rory Calhoun lol.
Give it up for cashman. Most overrated gm in baseball. Enjoy the 1 run per game Yankees