Ex-Red Sox Slugger Appears To Be Odd Man Out Of Yankees Roster Heading Into Offseason

An old friend appears to be an early candidate for release this winter

Scott Neville | Sep 25, 2023

Ex-Red Sox Slugger Appears To Be Odd Man Out Of Yankees Roster Heading Into Offseason /

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The New York Yankees waited until the very last minute to fill out their Opening Day roster this season, calling upon a former Boston Red Sox slugger to complete their team.

That slugger was outfielder Franchy Cordero, who, less than one year later, appears to be one of the lowest men on the Yankees 40-man roster.

"Cordero’s powerful first impression with the Yankees feels like an eternity ago," NJ.com's Max Goodman wrote Monday. "Since he hit four home runs in five games in April, he spent much of the season in Triple-A as a last-resort outfielder on the 40-man roster, going 6-for-44 in 17 big-league games."

As Goodman noted, Cordero appeared to be a steal early on. However, his early-season run was nothing more than a hot stretch.

The 29-year-old hit .188 with eight extra-base hits including six home runs, 13 RBIs and a .689 OPS in 24 games this season. Red Sox fans will not be surprised by his 25-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio paired with some notable defensive blunders.

The Yankees enter the offseason in a similar position as the Red Sox. Both franchises are expected to make some notable moves after missing the postseason. With that being said, New York will need to clear up some space on the 40-man roster and Cordero is unlikely to survive the roster overhaul.

A lack of outfield production -- outside of Aaron Judge -- haunted the Yankees all season long and will be a point of emphasis entering the winter.

After a largely unsuccessful stint, Cordero is expected to be looking for a new home in 2024.

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Published Sep 25, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu