Did Royals' Mike Yastrzemski Just Hint At Return To Giants In Free Agency?
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For a Major League Baseball player, there's often nothing that can compare to your first love.
Players develop special attachments to the organizations they debuted with, and that can be said for Kansas City Royals outfielder Mike Yastrzemski. It's been only two weeks since the 34-year-old arrived in KC partway through his seventh big-league season; previously, he'd only ever played for the San Francisco Giants.
Yastrzemski recently praised Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey for how he handled the trade. But in doing so, he also seemingly dropped a hint that he'd strongly consider a return to San Francisco in free agency.
Mike Yastrzemski talks Buster Posey, trade to Royals
The Giants traded Yastrzemski to the Royals on July 31 in exchange for right-handed pitcher Yunior Marte. He'll be in Kansas City for two months, maybe three, before he hits free agency for the first time at age 35.
During his appearance on the "Foul Territory" podcast on Monday, Yastrzemski talked about how Posey, his former teammate with the Giants, handled trading him. He also dropped a nugget about how he and Posey both considered the possibility of a reunion once the outfielder hits the open market.
"They handled it unbelievably professionally," Yastrzemski said. "Buster was a good friend of mine, a good teammate. That whole conversation, you would think was super strange, but it was really smooth.
"He was incredibly respectful, we had a great talk. And you know, it’s not the end of a relationship, it’s just, 'We’ll see you in a year or two.'”
Meanwhile, it's only been 10 games for Yastrzemski in a Royals uniform, but he's been a very welcome presence. He's putting up a .754 OPS through 37 plate appearances, he's stabilizing the leadoff spot in the lineup against right-handed pitching, and he's playing excellent defense in right field.
The Royals expect to eventually return rookie Jac Caglianone to right field, but perhaps there's a way for Kansas City to squeeze both players into their 2026 lineup if a Yastrzemski reunion is of interest. Caglianone is on the 10-day injured list with a strained hamstring.
If they do want him back, though, it appears they'll have tough competition for the veteran's affections if the Giants throw their hat in the ring. The comforts of home are often tough to beat.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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