Outfielder Estevan Florial has agreed to a contract with the KBO’s Hanwha Eagles, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He had been outrighted by the Guardians earlier this summer and elected free agency at the end of the season.
Florial signed with the Yankees as an international free agent in 2015. He quickly began turning heads in the organization with his strong performance in the low minors. Entering the 2019 season, MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and FanGraphs all ranked him as the number one prospect in the system. He was as toolsy as they come, with plus speed, big raw power, and a powerful throwing arm in center field.
Unfortunately, Florial never found a way to tap into all his potential at the highest level. Over parts of four seasons with the Yankees from 2020-23, he appeared in just 48 games, slashing .209/.313/.296 with a 75 wRC+. The Yankees traded him to the Guardians after the 2023 season, and he earned more playing time in Cleveland, appearing in 36 games for the Guardians in April and May. However, his results were just as poor. Over 111 trips to the plate, he put up a .173/.264/.367 batting line, good for an 80 wRC+. Cleveland designated him for assignment at the end of May, and he spent the rest of the season with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers.
Although Florial didn’t look any better with the Clippers than he did with the Guardians (.213 AVG, 83 wRC+), he has had success at Triple-A in the recent past. From 2022-23, he put up an impressive .283/.374/.523 slash-line over 202 games for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. In that time, he hit 43 home runs, stole 64 bases, and produced a 127 wRC+. It’s that level of performance the Eagles are surely hoping he’ll replicate in his first season in the KBO.
One of many poster children for the Yankees’ way way way overhyped farm system.
@Trillion, you could plug any team into that sentence. Yankee media just pushes it more into everyone’s faces. Many players are great in the farm and just don’t pan out in the MLB. Its no easy task.
With that long swing he never was able deal with the high velo in the majors.
Esteban was eaten!
Future Yankee HOFer, correct?
victim of 2020 covid season – he was rushed up because we needed him on the extended covid roster, he didn’t get to play enough but it started arbitration clock, ran out of options before he could earn a spot in the majors
He’s an AAAA player.
yes, because he went straight from High-A to MLB & skipped AA & AAA, had he had a full season of AA to develop instead, NYY still have options on him & he puts up his .945 OPS AAA season 1 year earlier – then who knows?
Hero to zero, sad journey
Why is this not bigger news!!???
Dude is still getting paid to play baseball. And I’d much rather do that exploring a new country and culture than in the minor leagues.
Hopefully Florial finds it in the KBO and then comes back to the MLB.