Yankees Bring Back Veteran To Bolster Infield Depth
The New York Yankees are bringing back this veteran to bolster their infield depth with DJ LeMahieu on the injured list.
The New York Yankees are bringing back an old friend.
On Friday, the morning of the Yankees' home opener in the Bronx, the team signed veteran infielder Rougned Odor to a minor league contract with an opt-out clause after July 1, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Odor saw significant playing time with the Yankees in 2021, where he smashed 15 home runs, drove in 39 RBIs, and slashed .202/.286/.379 with a .665 OPS in 102 games.
Since departing from the Bronx, Odor has played for the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres. But the 30-year-old has struggled during these stints.
Now that he is back with the Yankees, Odor can provide a spark off the bench for the Bronx Bombers, who are without DJ LeMahieu for a significant period of time due to a fractured foot. Luckily, the team has a plethora of infielders in Oswaldo Cabrera, Jon Berti and now Odor. Anthony Volpe, Gleyber Torres and Anthony Rizzo round out the Yankees' starting infield, but depth is important as well, which is why the club brought back Odor.
Odor was a mainstay at second base for the Texas Rangers from 2014-2020, where he put up several 30-plus home run seasons. He is also famous for getting into a fist fight during a dust up with former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista, whose bat flip was heard around the world in a crucial postseason matchup against the Rangers in the previous October.
It is unknown how much production the Yankees will receive out of Odor, but in the very least he will provide veteran leadership in the clubhouse and help guide some of the younger infielders.
