Yankees Sign Ex-Red Sox Slugger To Fill Final Roster Spot For 2023 Season

The Red Sox could square off against a former friend

Scott Neville | Mar 29, 2023

Yankees Sign Ex-Red Sox Slugger To Fill Final Roster Spot For 2023 Season /

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The New York Yankees swiped a former member of the Boston Red Sox one day before the 2023 Major League Baseball season kicks off.

Will the move shake up the division? Definitely not, but anytime a player crosses from one side of the rivalry to the other it is newsworthy.

"Outfielder Franchy Cordero and the New York Yankees are in agreement on a major league contract," ESPN's Jeff Passan tweeted Wednesday. "It’s a split deal that will pay $1 million in the big leagues and $180,000 in the minors. Barring another move, Cordero would be on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster."

Cordero hit .219 with 26 extra-base hits including eight home runs, 29 RBIs and a .697 OPS in 84 games with the Red Sox last season.

Between his inconsistent bat and below-average defense at both first base and the outfield, Cordero logged a -0.2 WAR.

The 28-year-old put himself back on the map with a dominant spring. Cordero hit .413 with seven extra-base hits including a pair of home runs, nine RBIs and a 1.100 OPS in 18 games for the Baltimore Orioles in the Grapefruit League.

The slugger was somewhat surprisingly cut from the O's but has reportedly found a new home in Queens.

Cordero was not a great everyday player when given the chance but did have some big moments last season -- including a walk-off grand slam in extra innings against the Seattle Mariners.

His rare combination of elite speed and power makes him an enticing player to develop, though it comes as a shock that a projected first-place team plans to add him to the big-league roster.

More MLB: Red Sox Could Lean On Recently Reacquired Flamethrower To Bolster Bullpen

Published Mar 29, 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