Yankees Don't Extend Qualifying Offer to Shortstop Didi Gregorius
By Karl Rasmussen
It had been speculated for quite some time, given the depth the Yankees have in the infield, but it's now official; Didi Gregorius is a free agent.
The Yankees didn't extend a qualifying offer to the 29-year-old shortstop, which will result in him hitting the open market.
Source: The Yankees did not make a qualifying offer to Didi Gregorius. @Joelsherman1 was first with the news.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 4, 2019
It doesn't come as a surprise that the Yankees opted against paying Gregorius the $17.8 million qualifying offer.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in October of 2018, Gregorius wasn't as effective in 2019 when he returned to the field. Last season across 82 games, Didi slashed .238/.276/.441 good for a disappointing .771 OPS. He hit 16 homers and drove in 61 RBI in what was a significant down year.
It was a little surprising that the #Yankees did not offer Didi Gregorius the qualifying offer, which only helps his free agency.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 4, 2019
Gregorius has been with the Yankees since 2015, stepping in as Derek Jeter's replacement after The Captain retired. Across five seasons in New York, Gregorius has slashed .269/.313/.429 with 110 home runs and 417 RBI.
There's still a chance the Yankees bring back the Dutch infielder this offseason, but it seems less likely given the team's desperation to add some starting pitching coupled with the desire to move Gleyber Torres to shortstop.