
RHP Jimmy Cordero, 30. Washington, 2018, Toronto 2019, and the White Sox 2019-2020. 3-5, 4.55, ERA+ 99 in 83 MLB games, all in relief. Pitched in 2 games, 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief for the White Sox in the 2020 postseason. He missed all of 2021 after having had TJ surgery in March, 2021.
They also signed Ender Inciarte, 31, lefty hitting OF. Inciarte is a 1x All-Star, and 3x Gold Glove winner. He’s stolen 20 or more bases in three separate seasons. A .280 lifetime hitter, his 162 game average is .280-8-50 with 22 SB and an OPS+ of 91. But in 163 games since 2018, Inciarte has only hit .223-8-44, 12 SB and an OPS+ of only 67. He hit .215-2-10 for the Braves in 2021, OPS+ 55. He was released by the Braves in July so he wasn’t part of their WS Championship run. He signed with the Reds, didn’t play for them, and was released by the Reds in August. He has played with Arizona (2014-2015) and Atlanta (2016-2021).
Inciarte provides some depth (along with maybe Estevan Florial) in case Aaron Hicks can’t pick up the slack in CF. Hicks missed most of the 2021 season with a wrist injury and has been injury prone. Florial, 24, has shown flashes but despite hitting .300 (6 for 20) in the majors last year (and 7 for 23 in his MLB career), he only hit .219-17-47 with 13 SB between AA/AAA in 2021.
With Hicks injury last year, Brett Gardner was forced into more playing time than expected in 2021. Not only that, at times Aaron Judge started in CF, along with some appearances by journeymen Greg Allen and Jonathan Davis. Allen and Davis are both gone, and Gardner is now a free agent, but Gardner is 38 years old. Gardner only hit .222-10-39 in 2021, OPS+ 90. With Inciarte being younger, having had some speed and a lefty bat, you wonder if the signing is to replace Gardner on the roster with Inciarte and you wonder if this is a goodbye to the long-time Yankee in Gardner. Also, don’t be surprised if the Yankees still pursue someone else for CF.
Speaking of Judge, he just got married last week in Hawaii.