When the New York Yankees learned that Jasson Domínguez would miss the rest of the MLB season, they knew there was no other option than to draft another Dominican, Estevan Florial, to the big team.
The 25-year-old outfielder was granted a major league exemption that same season and returned to the New York organization, which, despite all the vicissitudes in the outfield, kept him in Triple A without promoting him to the majors.
The team’s fans demanded an explanation and Florial pressured him with his performance in Scranton (he hit a .284 average with 28 home runs, 79 RBIs, 25 stolen bases and a .945 OPS in 101 games), but they took their time .
https://twitter.com/snyyankees/status/1702861355840082343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
There is a reason. And the left-handed hitter has failed to make an impact with the bat on the occasions he has had the opportunity to play in the major leagues, and that is evidenced by his lifetime average of .181 with 3 extra base hits and 5 RBIs proven.
Now he has a new opportunity to show that he was underestimated. His MLB average in 2023 is .167 with no home runs, but Florial has reached base in three of the four games he played in Boston this week.
He had three hits and two RBIs in the five games of his last call-up, and on Friday night in Pittsburgh he did the little things that helped the team turn the result around.
“I thought he did a good job,” manager Aaron Boone told NJ.com. “I’m happy with his attacks, I think he showed competitive attacks game after game. “It has brought some success for us.”
“I think there has been growth this year,” he added. “We still have 15 games left. “It’s important for him to go out and send a message to himself, to us and to the league that he belongs here as a player.”
Florial has less than two weeks to prove he can play in the major leagues. His future with the Yankees doesn’t look promising, but if he does a good job these days, he could be a player that draws interest in trade negotiations, especially considering he’s in pre-arbitration and only receiving a minimum salary.
