Didi proving to be one of Yank GM’s best pickups
The three-team deal in December 2014 that landed Didi Gregorius in the Bronx may turn out to be one of the best trades Brian Cashman has ever made as GM of the Yankees.
On a night when Paul O’Neill and David Cone — arguably the two most impactful players acquired by the late Gene Michael — put flowers on home plate as part of a pregame tribute to the beloved 1990s dynasty-building Yankees GM who died Sept. 7 at age 79, Gregorius starred on both sides of the diamond as the Bombers beat the Orioles 8-2 on Friday at the Stadium.
The 27-year-old shortstop drilled a two-run homer in the fifth that put the Yankees ahead to stay and finished with four RBI. He also made a slick defensive play in which he threw a missile to first to rob Trey Mancini of a hit in the fourth, as the Bombers improved to 6-1 in their last seven games and moved to a season-high tying 15 over .500 for the first time since they were 38-23.
“I know Stick was really important to Brian,” Joe Girardi said. “Brian really believed in Gene Michael, and it’s a great trade. You look at the night Didi had, he had a huge night for us.”
Gregorius has posted a .291/.324/.482 batting line along with career-highs of 22 homers and 77 RBI over 123 games in his third year in pinstripes, despite not making his season debut until April 28 due to a shoulder injury he suffered prior to the World Baseball Classic. He came into Friday’s game ranked sixth in the advanced defensive metric ultimate zone rating or “UZR” — up from 16th last season.
“I’m just trying to become a better player, that’s all I’m trying to do,” Gregorius said.
It didn’t start out this way for Gregorius — who was sold to Cashman as a future impact piece by now senior VP of baseball operations Tim Naehring — as he had the unenviable job of replacing a future Hall of Famer in Derek Jeter.
And he endured a brutal first month, getting booed and posting a .499 OPS. But Gregorius has found comfort ever since, evolving as a hitter and a fielder. These days he hits in the cleanup spot, capable of hitting lefties while being lethal with the bases loaded. His first AllStar appearance may come next.
“I just think he’s become confident in who he is and understands who he is,” Girardi said. “I think sometimes for young players when you’re playing sometimes and you’re sitting for a while and your playing time is inconsistent, you’re not quite sure who you are, but he’s figured it out.”
The Yankees now need to make
sure they keep Gregorius, who is making $5.1 million in 2017, in the Bronx long-term. He is arbitration eligible in both 2018 and 2019 and can become a free agent in 2020.
Cashman’s contract is set to expire at the end of the year. But given how he’s been able to build the roster through the minorleague system (Luis Severino, Gary Sanchez and Aaron Judge) and bolster it with trades for Sonny Gray, David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and Todd Frazier, it seems like a safe bet that the Yankees will ask him to stick around. The Bombers are ahead of schedule, after all, a playoff berth in their sights.
Cashman dealt a pitcher named Shane Greene in the trade for Gregorius. Greene struggled in two seasons as a starter in Detroit before transitioning into a relief role. He’s currently closing for the Tigers.
The Yankees are pretty comfortable with their guy — who may go down as one of Cashman’s best acquisitions ever.