Yankees Sign Ex-Twins Minor League Player of the Year and Staten Island Native Zack Granite
By Jerry Trotta
The New York Yankees are starting small in free agency, and will work their way up to pursuing to the top fish in this year's pool.
On Friday evening, Brian Cashman and Co. completed the signing of outfielder Zack Granite, a Staten Island native and Minnesota Twins' former minor league player of the year back in 2016, to a minor league contract.
Bob Nightengale reported that the Yankees will invite Granite to Spring Training to fight for a spot on the big league roster.
The #Yankees sign OF Zack Granite, the #Twins minor-league player of the year in 2016, to minor-league deal and will bring him to spring training with chance to make the big-league team.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 22, 2019
Granite spent a few seasons within the Twins minor league ranks before Minnesota offloaded him to the Texas Rangers just ahead of the 2020 campaign.
The Seton Hall product's only stint in MLB came in 2017 with the Twins, a promotion that spanned 40 games, during which he hit .237/.321/.290 to go with six home runs, and 25 RBIs.
Yankees To Sign Zack Granite https://t.co/40zp0tXL2c pic.twitter.com/B0gnkW5nBu
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 22, 2019
Granite did, however, impress during his time with the Rangers' minor league affiliates, posting a .290/.331/.375 slash line across 541 plate appearances.
The talent appears to be there and perhaps a move to his hometown Yankees will be enough to morph him into a player deserving of an everyday roster spot on a big league club.