Didi Gregorius had the honor of playing shortstop for the Yankees right after Derek Jeter officially hung up his spikes for good. Those were some big shoes to fill, but Sir Didi did a terrific job during his five seasons in the Bronx.
Once he left Yankee Stadium, though, things haven’t been nearly as smooth on the field. Now, Geregorius is looking to breathe life into his professional career in the Mexican League.
Entrega especial de Didi… ¡Gregorius! para los @AlgodonerosUL ☁️
Acá todos los detalles de la contratación ? de la Máquina Guinda: https://t.co/3ashpIyKCL pic.twitter.com/64NXKr3qK2
— Liga Mexicana de Beisbol (@LigaMexBeis) May 1, 2023
Gregorius will be suiting up for Union Laguna Algodoneros, which also employs former Mets utility infielder Jonathan Villar.
What was most noticeable about Didi’s time in pinstripes was his power surge. In parts of three seasons with the Reds and Diamondbacks, he slugged 13 homers in 191 games played. After setting a single-season career-high mark with New York in 2015 with nine homers, he rattled off three straight years of at least 20 dingers. It increased each season, finishing with a Yankees shortstop record of 27 in 2018.
Gregorius spent one final year in New York before jumping to the Philadelphia Phillies. He performed well during the shortened 2020 season, posting a .827 OPS with 10 homers and 40 RBI in 237 plate appearances. The last two years, though, haven’t been nearly as great.
Across 640 plate appearances (166 games played) between 2021 and 2022, Didi Gregorius posted a .613 OPS with 14 home runs. He didn’t latch on with another MLB team this past offseason, thus leading to him signing in the Mexican League.
You’d have to assume the chances of him getting back to the big leagues at some point aren’t terrible. After all, he played last season and is still only 33 years old. The odds say there’s still some decent baseball left in him, so we’ll see if he can find the magic again and get back to the Show.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
