Overview
- New York announced that Grichuk chose free agency instead of reporting to the minors after he cleared waivers.
- The Yankees had designated the 34-year-old for assignment to recall right-hander Elmer RodrÃguez from Triple-A.
- By rule for players with five-plus years of service, he keeps his guaranteed salary and a new team would pay only the prorated league minimum.
- Grichuk hit .194 with a .212 on-base and .323 slugging for the Yankees and he now profiles as a corner outfielder.
- All 29 teams passed on claiming his contract, which makes a new deal more plausible given the much lower cost to sign him now.