5.9k Share this
TAMPA — Marwin Gonzalez isn’t wasting any time making his case to land on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster.
Playing his fourth position in as many games since signing a minor league deal with the Yankees last weekend, Gonzalez went 3-for-3 on Tuesday, including his third home run of the spring, and flashed some defense at first base in the Yankees’ 14-2 Grapefruit League win over the Phillies at Steinbrenner Field.
“Just putting together a lot of good at-bats right now, moving around the diamond,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Seeing him right now and seeing what we’re seeing physically from him, it makes you think that last year was just a blip, that last year was a bad year.
“That said, we’re in March and trying to keep that in perspective. But he’s definitely come in here and we couldn’t have expected much more.”
The 33-year-old Gonzalez hasn’t had a productive year offensively since 2019, his first year with the Twins after thriving with the Astros. But in 144 games between 2020-2021 (split between the Twins, Red Sox and Astros), Gonzalez hit just .204 with a 60 OPS-plus (100 being average).
The switch-hitting super-utilityman is 6-for-11 in four games this spring, though, while starting at shortstop, left field, second base and first base. He showed off his defense at first base Tuesday, stretching out wide to snag an off-target throw from third baseman Josh Donaldson in the fourth inning.
Last year, Gonzalez started games at second, first, third, shortstop, left field and right field. If he wins a bench job out of camp, he could also serve as the Yankees’ backup shortstop instead of having to use Gleyber Torres there every time Isiah Kiner-Falefa needs a day off.
“I feel good about him anywhere on the diamond,” Boone said. “You know he’s going to handle himself well. And then he just brings a lot of those intangibles, experience. He’s done a lot of winning. So he’s certainly injected himself right in the conversation.”
Source: NYPOST
