The Yankees recently released outfielder Luis González from his minor league deal, according to an announcement (on X) from their Triple-A team. He returns to free agency and will likely look for another minor league opportunity elsewhere.
González signed with New York in December. The 28-year-old struggled over 10 games in Spring Training and opened the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. González appeared in 22 games for the RailRiders, tallying 91 plate appearances. His .282/.374/.397 slash line was solid, although he didn’t connect on any home runs. Hitting .400 on balls in play also compensated for an elevated 26.4% strikeout rate.
Even a more resounding Triple-A performance probably wouldn’t have gotten González a look in the Bronx. Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and Alex Verdugo have the starting outfield spots secured. Trent Grisham hasn’t contributed much off the bench, but he’s a good defensive center fielder. González, on the other hand, has limited experience in center and is better suited for a corner spot. New York could welcome Jasson Domínguez back within a couple weeks, as he’ll start a minor league rehab assignment tomorrow.
González has played in parts of three MLB seasons. He saw sporadic action with the White Sox and Giants between 2020-21. The lefty hitter was a solid contributor for San Francisco in 2022, batting .254/.323/.360 through 350 trips to the dish. He hasn’t played in the majors since then, largely because of a back injury that required surgery in Spring Training last year. González was shelved for the first four months of the season. San Francisco ran him through outright waivers not long after he returned and released him entirely last September.
I thought he retired from the Diamondbacks like 12 years ago,
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I met Luis Gonzalez back when he was a Cub at Candlestick. He came up to me and said “I hate this place”.
Rey Sanchez gave me a baseball.
Oh I get it. Same name as the guy that retired from the Diamondbacks like 12 years ago,
I don’t know if he’ll get back to the majors but there are definitely more clear paths on some other teams. The Giants are pretty banged up presently.
I was thinking the same. With Conforto and Soler out right now and Lee facing an extended absence a return to the Giants would certainly make some sense
How does the OP not even mention the irony of the Yankees having a player with that name?
Have to think Cashman found it cathartic to release “OF Luis Gonzalez”.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? He signed Johnny Damon, Kevin Youkilis, and Jacoby Ellsbury to deals. Only Damon worked out so Cashman learned nothing!
he also traded for Roger Clemens and Alex Verdugo so there’s that
@redsox571: Cashman is a team executive, not a fan. He’s long since gotten over something that happened 23 years ago.
Long time lurker here, I have always wondered Blue Baron why your profile picture is a dog’s behind?
@TheDardo lol. Thank for that guffaw
Giants.
I met Luis Gonzalez at Candlestick Park and he told me “I hate this place”.
Rey Sanchez gave me baseball.
@GiantJim: If it becomes his best opportunity to continue playing, he won’t hate it so much.
Can’t wait to see The Martian again.
Hopefully they’ll play “Indian Love Call” as his walk up music.
Giants might sign him again. 8 guys on the IL.
Can he play CF and hit above .200? If so, he’s your new Dodger CF.
Oh, what a shocker! The Yankees releasing Luis González, a player with a solid Triple-A performance but evidently not fit for their star-studded outfield. Because, you know, Soto, Judge, and Verdugo are just too indispensable to even consider giving someone else a chance.
I mean, sure, González didn’t hit any home runs in his stint with the RailRiders, but who needs power when you have a .282 batting average and a .374 on-base percentage? Clearly, those numbers scream “send me back to free agency immediately!”
And let’s not forget the impeccable logic of keeping a defensive center fielder like Trent Grisham over González, who’s apparently not fit for center despite his limited experience. Because heaven forbid we have someone who can actually hit the ball consistently, right?
Oh, and let’s throw in a mention of Jasson Domínguez coming back soon, just to rub salt in the wound of González’s release. Because why give a deserving player a chance when you have prospects waiting in the wings?
Baseball logic at its finest, folks. Hats off to the Yankees for their unmatched wisdom in roster management.
York you might have to walk me though this one. Your comment is dripping with obvious sarcasm but I don’t see what’s wrong here.
There is no place for him on this team and it’s not uncommon for a team to release a player like this that might have a shot on another team’s big league roster.
Also not mentioned anywhere is the they also have Oswaldo Cabrera to back up corner outfield.
@Joe Says…
It was sarcasm…
Fans like home runs. And lots of them. No hr hitter, not a Yankee.
Revenge for the 2001 World Series.
Sure CWS will snap him up as they could use another OFer with no power..
Yankees part ways with borderline mediocre outfielder who has zero chance of getting on the major league roster, nothing to see here