The Yankees “Love” Miguel Andújar? Reunion?

If you’ve been wondering where the Yankees are going to find a right-handed bench bat without lighting another pile of money on fire, here comes a familiar name sliding back into the conversation.

According to Joel Sherman’s reporting, multiple Yankees “decision makers” are said to really like — even love — the idea of Miguel Andújar. And yes, it’s the same Andújar who broke in here, mashed doubles like it was his job (because it was), and then got swallowed by the injury/roster churn blender that never stops in the Bronx.

Why This Is Even a Conversation

The Yankees aren’t hunting for a star right now. They’re hunting for a fit: a right-handed bat who can come off the bench, punish lefties, and keep the lineup from feeling like it’s leaning one direction every time a southpaw shows up.

That’s the Andújar pitch in one sentence: right-handed hitter, contact-driven, can cover a few spots, and won’t cost you a headline contract.

Andújar’s Yankees Resume: The Peak, the Slide, the “What If”

Let’s not rewrite history. Andújar’s 2018 season was electric — the kind of rookie year that makes you think you just found your long-term answer at third base. He hit for average, hit for damage, and racked up extra-base hits like he was personally offended by singles.

Then came the injuries. Then came the roster reshuffle. Then came the reality that the Yankees couldn’t keep waiting for the same player to stay healthy while the rest of the league kept moving.

Overall in pinstripes, Andújar posted a solid line: a .273 average with 35 homers across 259 games. Not legendary. Not empty either. Just… incomplete, because the best version of him never really got a fair runway after that rookie breakout.

The 2025 Bounce-Back Is What Put Him Back on the Radar

This is the part that matters right now: Andújar hit .318 in 2025 across 94 games split between Oakland and Cincinnati, with 10 homers and an .822 OPS. That’s not “remember him?” production. That’s “why is he still floating out there?” production.

And if you’re building a bench, you’re not asking him to be 2018 Andújar every day. You’re asking him to be the guy who makes opposing managers regret going to that lefty in the sixth inning.

The Real Yankees Question: What’s the Role?

If the Yankees are serious about this, it has to be with a clean plan:

• Bench bat first, not “everyday solution” cosplay.
• Platoon advantage usage — especially when lefties are on the mound.
• Defensive expectations kept realistic (you’re signing the bat, not the glove).
• Low-risk contract that doesn’t block better options if they appear.

That’s the sweet spot. And if Sherman is right that the front office still loves him, the logic is obvious: the Yankees know the makeup, they know the swing, they know the personality, and they know exactly what they’re getting — good and bad.

So… Should the Yankees Actually Do It?

I’ll put it like this: if the Yankees are truly shopping for a right-handed bench bat, a reunion with Andújar is one of the cleanest “fit” moves left on the board — as long as it’s treated like a role-player signing and not a redemption movie.

Because the best teams don’t just collect names. They collect solutions. And right now, the Yankees need a simple one: a righty who can hit, doesn’t need 600 plate appearances to be valuable, and can step into a few different spots without the roster collapsing.

If Andújar is that guy in 2026 the way he looked in 2025, then yeah — bring him back. Just don’t pretend it fixes everything. It fixes one thing. And at this point, the Yankees could use a few things getting fixed the easy way.

Quick take: If the Yankees want a right-handed bench bat who can do damage against lefties and won’t cost a fortune, Miguel Andújar is suddenly a very rational reunion candidate.