MLB

Ex-Yankee Didi Gregorius lands minor league deal with Mariners

Didi Gregorius has a chance to return to the majors.

The former Yankees shortstop signed a minor-league deal with the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, Stadium’s Russell Dorsey reported.

Gregorius, a 33-year-old veteran, has been out of the major leagues since the Phillies cut him last season following two years of dismal performance.

The Dutch shortstop, a former mainstay in New York, was hitting .210 with a .567 OPS when Philadelphia decided to eat $5.5 million to get him off the roster.

He’s found more success in the Mexican League recently.

After signing with Algodoneros de Unión Laguna on May 1, he’s mashed a league-leading 11 homers with a 1.208 OPS.

Gregorius was a productive Yankee when he played from 2015-2019, slashing .269/.313/.446 with 97 homers after he took over the shortstop position from Derek Jeter.

Didi Gregorius #18 of Team Netherlands hits a RBI single at the top of the first inning during the World Baseball Classic
Did Gregorious played for the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic. Getty Images

Maybe his most memorable Yankees moment came in the postseason when he blasted a game-tying grand slam during the 2017 American League Wild Card game that was one of the catalysts for a stunning Yankees run to the ALCS.

Gregorius’ struggles lasted more than one year in Philadelphia.

Over three seasons with the Phillies, he owned a .670 OPS, hit only 24 homers, and made 27 errors.

The Mariners may be searching for additional help in what’s been a disappointing season thus far.

Aiming to reach the postseason again, Seattle sits in fourth place in the AL West, 10 games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers.

J.P. Crawford, the team’s defense-first starting shortstop, has a .685 OPS with three home runs.

Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius #18, standing at home plate, reacting, after hitting a grand slam
Gregorious, a Yankees star during his time in the Bronx, was bought out by the Phillies amid a disastrous 2022 season. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

The team also does not have any young shortstops close to the major leagues — its highest-ranked shortstop prospect, Cole Young, is a 19-year-old in Single A.

Gregorius hit well as a representative of Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, batting .348 with a home run in six games.

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