Yankees facing tough decision with veteran outfielder’s future

The New York Yankees face a difficult decision with veteran outfielder Kole Calhoun. 

Kole Calhoun is currently in his 12th year of professional baseball, but he hasn’t appeared in an MLB game yet this season. Instead, he’s currently playing for the New York Yankees‘ triple-A affiliate in Scranton.

Reworking his swing, Calhoun has posted a .963 OPS in the minors and he’s now putting the pressure on New York to make a decision: call him up to the majors or let him find another team.

After exercising his contract opt-out option on June 1, the Yankees now have less than 72 hours to decide Calhoun’s future.

New York Yankees must decide whether to call up Kole Calhoun or let him walk

Calhoun struggled mightily in his last MLB run with Texas in 2022. He managed 12 home runs and 49 RBIs in 388 at-bats, but his paltry .196 batting average left a sour taste in front offices around the league. Thus, his stint in triple-A to begin the season.

Now that Calhoun has evidently fixed his swing, he is expected to have suitors around the MLB.

Calhoun spent eight productive years with the Angels before more recent stints with Arizona and Texas. He has a career batting average of .243 with 173 home runs to his name. He also won the Gold Glove in right field in 2015.

The best MLB teams are always looking for improvements on the margins. If the Yankees can’t find space for Calhoun on their roster, someone will. New York faces a tough predicament, but Calhoun clearly has the pedigree and the recent track record of improvement to warrant another shot in the majors.

The Yankees have faced many hurdles in the outfield this season with Giancarlo Stanton battling injuries. Beyond Aaron Judge, the reigning MVP, the Yankees are short on productive hitters in the outfield at the moment. Calhoun’s decision to force the Yankees’ hand could land him a shot with the big-league squad given the otherwise uninspiring depth chart.