The New York Yankees have signed former New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada on a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.
According to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, the New York Yankees have agreed to terms with shortstop Ruben Tejada oon a minor league deal.Tejada will likely be bestowed with a chance to battle with backup infielders Ronald Torreyes and Rob Refsnyder for a shot off the bench, similar to when Pete Kozma and Donovan Solano were brought in on minor league contracts a year ago.
Following six seasons in Queens from 2010-15 featuring a lifetime .255/.330/.323 slash line and one memorable broken leg, he was released during last year’s Spring Training on March 16, 2016.
He was picked up by the Cardinals but then released on June 1 after he hit just .176 in 40 regular season plate appearances (6-for-34).
On June 17, the San Francisco Giants brought him on but he would disappoint during his 13 game stint as Tejada went just 5-for-32 (.156) while his batting average on balls in play wasn’t any better at .185.
In 43 total games in the Cardinals and Giants minor league systems, however, the 27-year-old slashed .303/.337/.414 with an OPS of .752. In the Pacific Coast League, he slashed .303/.338/.413 in 155 plate appearances for the Sacramento River Cats.
In the majors, his best year was in 2012, when he maintained a .333 on-base percentage in 114 games for the Mets and even finished with the second-highest batting average (.289) among National League shortstops with at least 500 plate appearances.
A move like this, as you may know, won’t have a drastic effect on the organization for the better or for worse. If anything, he’ll be the starting shortstop for the Railriders and be a September call-up, at most.
