Headlines

  • D-backs GM Mike Hazen On Trade Deadline Needs
  • Jacob deGrom To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Yankees To Place Aaron Judge On Injured List
  • Blue Jays Option Alek Manoah
  • Reds Promote Elly De La Cruz
  • Red Sox Designate Raimel Tapia For Assignment
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Arbitration Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Yankees Sign Kole Calhoun To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | April 20, 2023 at 2:30pm CDT

The Yankees announced Thursday that they’ve signed free-agent outfielder Kole Calhoun to a minor league contract. Calhoun, a client of PSI Sports Management, spent spring training with the Mariners but opted out of his minor league deal late in camp.

Calhoun, 35, hit .250/.314/.281 in 35 trips to the plate with Seattle this spring and is looking to rebound from a tough pair of seasons in 2021-22. Over that two-year span, the longtime Angels right fielder slashed just .208/.269/.343 in 606 trips to the plate between the Diamondbacks and the Rangers.

Prior to that ugly stretch, however, Calhoun was a generally productive regular (mostly in Anaheim but also with the 2020 Diamondbacks). From 2013-20, he posted a combined .249/.324/.431 batting line (106 wRC+) while regularly playing solid defense and providing a bit of value on the bases. At his best, Calhoun would walk in around 10% of his plate appearances with a lower-than-average 21% strikeout rate, although those rates cratered in 2021-22, when he walked at a 6.9% clip against a dismal 29.2% strikeout rate.

Calhoun does have a 33-homer season to his credit, though it came in the juiced-ball season back in 2019. His career-high outside that year is 26 back in 2015, and he averaged about 20 round-trippers per year — even popping 16 big flies in 54 games with the D-backs during the shortened 2020 campaign. He has a Gold Glove to his credit (2015), though as his defensive ratings have dipped in his mid-30s, his overall career numbers in 9240 innings of right field work have dipped a bit below average. He carries a career total of -4 Defensive Runs Saved, for instance.

Yankee corner outfielders have been unproductive on the whole this season, as Aaron Judge has spent the bulk of his time in center for a second straight season. Oswaldo Cabrera, Aaron Hicks and Franchy Cordero have combined to hit .219/.275/.297 while serving as Yankee left fielders, and the quintet of Cordero, Judge, Cabrera, Giancarlo Stanton and Willie Calhoun have combined to bat .191/.222/.441 while playing right field (thanks largely to an early power surge from Cordero). Even with Judge raking and Cordero hitting four home runs before falling into a lengthy slump, Yankees outfielders have combined for a .226/.282/.426 batting line thus far. And Stanton, who’s batted .269/.296/.558 with four homers this year, is now on the shelf for upwards of six weeks.

The newly signed Calhoun may not ultimately prove to make an impact — two full seasons have elapsed since his last productive showing — but it’s hardly a surprise to see the Yankees adding some affordable depth, given Stanton’s injury and the general level of struggles they’ve seen from their current corner options. The Yankees assigned him to their Florida Complex League squad to get back up to speed after nearly a month away from game action, but presumably Calhoun will be in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before long.

Share 0 Retweet 13 Send via email0

New York Yankees Transactions Kole Calhoun

Reds, Rangers Join Teams Seeking Overdue Rights Fees From Diamond Sports
Main
Kenta Maeda Hit By Comebacker On Ankle, X-Rays Negative
View Comments (27)
newest oldest

Comments

  1. Little Stevie Janowsky

    2 months ago

    Surprised the Mets didn’t sign this guy their outfield is atrocious Lolmets

    4
    Reply
    • bronxmac77

      2 months ago

      Lolmets? (Them?
      Lilmutt (you)

      2
      Reply
    • MannyBeingMVP

      2 months ago

      Cashman gets lump of Cole

      Reply
  2. DCartrow

    2 months ago

    Two!!! Two Calhouns!!

    3
    Reply
    • disadvantage

      2 months ago

      Taking a page from the 2022 Rangers’ book.

      1
      Reply
  3. Yankees1000%

    2 months ago

    i like the this move by yankees he’s can hit 10 homerun easy and 40 or 50 rib

    1
    Reply
    • Yankees1000%

      2 months ago

      nice from the bench this guy will make a big difference for good

      Reply
  4. CravenMoorehead

    2 months ago

    Always thought his name sounded like a gunslinger from the Wild West.

    2
    Reply
    • ThurMattingly1523Ave

      2 months ago

      Have gun will travel, before Brandon tries to took them off from you Gringos!!!

      1
      Reply
    • ThurMattingly1523Ave

      2 months ago

      Tries*

      Reply
    • ThurMattingly1523Ave

      2 months ago

      Takes*

      Reply
  5. hitman23

    2 months ago

    More back up for the inevitable Hicks injury.

    2
    Reply
    • CravenMoorehead

      2 months ago

      At this point it’s a blessing in disguise when he visits the IL.

      Also, you have a marvelous account name. I still have that poster from the 80s.

      1
      Reply
  6. Ace_

    2 months ago

    Kole has around 40 million reasons to go open market if the Yankees don’t stick with the contract.

    Reply
  7. prov356

    2 months ago

    Good for the Red Baron. His defense is awesome and he has a cannon for an arm. His bat is playable.

    Reply
    • Ejemp2006

      2 months ago

      Arm and defense are old. I like him too, but we admit time never loses? He was always poor man’s Alex Gordon, right?

      3
      Reply
    • StudWinfield

      2 months ago

      Yeah I’d bat him at least 5th in my backyard wiffle ball game.

      2
      Reply
  8. Gwynning's Anal Lover

    2 months ago

    I think it would be nice to see the Calhoun brothers on the same team.

    2
    Reply
    • ThurMattingly1523Ave

      2 months ago

      And the Ckole bros too!!!

      Reply
  9. acoss13

    2 months ago

    Lefty bat that can get some pop, and with that short porch in Yankee stadium, it’s a no brainer really.

    Reply
  10. bronxmac77

    2 months ago

    José Treviño!

    Reply
  11. bronxmac77

    2 months ago

    Calhoun in…Hicks out?

    3
    Reply
  12. ervin_magic_johnson

    2 months ago

    Git ‘er done!

    1
    Reply
  13. Bearded Texas Hulk

    2 months ago

    He’s a nice guy but he was horrible for the Rangers.

    Reply
  14. Dr2022

    2 months ago

    I guess you can’t have enough Calhouns

    Reply
  15. Mickey777

    2 months ago

    Hope Cashman eventually stops looking to catch lightning in a bottle and acquires a real solid lefty hitting OFer. Meanwhile 12-7 with all of their injuries is fantastic, be very happily surprised if they can keep it up.

    Reply
  16. bronxmac77

    2 months ago

    Don’t know many Calhouns.
    But I’ve been to Kowloon.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    D-backs GM Mike Hazen On Trade Deadline Needs

    Jacob deGrom To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Yankees To Place Aaron Judge On Injured List

    Blue Jays Option Alek Manoah

    Reds Promote Elly De La Cruz

    Red Sox Designate Raimel Tapia For Assignment

    Mets Designate Tomas Nido For Assignment, Activate Omar Narvaez

    MLB Hires Albert Pujols As Special Assistant

    Guardians Designate Zach Plesac For Assignment

    Diamondbacks Extend Torey Lovullo Through 2024

    Red Sox Place Chris Sale On Injured List With Shoulder Inflammation

    Reds Disinclined To Trade Jonathan India

    Yankees Activate Stanton, Donaldson, Kahnle; Rodon Transferred To 60-Day IL

    Tigers Place Riley Greene On Injured List Due To Stress Reaction In Fibula

    Braves Select AJ Smith-Shawver, Designate Lucas Luetge

    Orioles Sign Aaron Hicks, Place Cedric Mullins On IL

    Brewers Designate Luke Voit For Assignment

    White Sox To Activate Liam Hendriks From Injured List

    Royals Release Hunter Dozier

    Yankees Release Aaron Hicks

    Recent

    MLBTR Trade Rumors Podcast: Elly De La Cruz, Manoah’s Demotion and Surgery for DeGrom

    Royals Exploring Varying Trade Scenarios Involving Aroldis Chapman

    Red Sox To Select Matt Dermody

    Pirates Outright Chris Owings

    Injury Notes: Lowe, Paddack, Thompson, Suarez

    Nationals Outright Andres Machado

    Tigers, Nationals Relievers Drawing Trade Interest

    Yankees Select Billy McKinney

    Brewers Option Brice Turang, Reinstate Willy Adames

    Mariners Keeping Bryan Woo In Rotation For Now

    ad: 300x250_5_side_mlb

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Shohei Ohtani Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • 2023-24 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • MLB Player Chats
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version