Aaron Boone Has No Problems With Yankees Adding Member of Sign-Stealing Astros
TAMPA — Looks like the Yankees ended up adding a member of the sign-stealing Astros this offseason after all.
After passing on Carlos Correa in free agency—with the shortstop electing to sign a short-term deal with the Minnesota Twins over the weekend—New York has reportedly agreed to terms on a minor league deal with infielder Marwin Gonzalez.
Gonzalez and Correa were teammates in Houston from 2015 to 2018, winning a ring together in 2017, a title that will forever be tainted by the organization's cheating scandal.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone was one of many to address Houston's sign-stealing system at spring training two years ago, shortly after details of the scandal emerged. It's a sore subject for the Yankees as New York was eliminated by the Astros during the 2017 (and 2019) postseason, losing decisive games at Minute Maid Park.
Nonetheless, two years later, Boone has no problems with adding a member of that team to his clubhouse.
Asked Sunday if a player like Gonzalez would need to address his new teammates in the Yankees' clubhouse after what happened in 2017, Boone said he's not concerned about it.
"I think we've moved past that," he said Sunday after New York's Grapefruit League loss to the Tigers.
READ: Yankees' Luis Severino Is Focused on Staying Healthy This Spring
Boone also mentioned the fact that New York had catcher Robinson Chirinos at camp last spring, although Chirinos donned an Astros uniform in 2019, not 2017. The skipper went on to commend Gonzalez for his career thus far, saying the utility man has an innate ability to play multiple positions, that he's a gamer and a professional.
Gonzalez's numbers have dropped in recent years. Over 91 games in 2021, split with the Astros and Red Sox, Gonzalez slashed .199/.275/.304. In his 10-year career, the 33-year-old is a .256 hitter with 101 home runs and 397 RBI.
MORE:
- Report: Yankees Focused On Pitching; Have Eyes On These 2 Starters
- Yankees’ Newly Acquired Catcher Sidelined With Injury
- Yankees' Catching Coordinator Explains What Makes Ben Rortvedt So 'Dynamic' Behind Plate
Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), be sure to bookmark Inside The Pinstripes and check back daily for news, analysis and more.
