Former Elite Prospect Elects Free Agency From Yankees After Surprisingly Short Stint

One former elite prospect is looking for a new home after leaving the Yankees

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

One former member of the New York Yankees is looking for a new home. 

Former Yankees outfielder Willie Calhoun recently was designated for assignment by New York and rather than heading back to the minor leagues will become a free agent, according to the club.

"On Monday, (outfielder) Willie Calhoun elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment," the club said on Twitter.

Calhoun signed with the Yankees ahead of the 2023 campaign to a minor league deal and was called up to the big league club early in April. The 28-year-old appeared in just 44 games with the Yankees and slashed .239/.309/.403 to go along with five home runs and 16 RBIs while seeing time in left field, right field, and as designated hitter. 

At one point Calhoun was one of the top prospects in baseball after being drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Calhoun began his professional career in the Dodgers organization but was traded to the Texas Rangers in a deal for pitcher Yu Darvish where he eventually made his big league debut. Calhoun spent five seasons with Texas before being designated for assignment by the club during the 2022 campaign after just 18 appearances. The outfielder then joined the San Francisco Giants organization.

It wouldn't be too surprising to see another club take a chance on Calhoun with a minor league deal. Calhoun is just 28 years old and at one point was ranked as a top-100 prospect. If he were to latch on with another club this season it likely would be in a depth role but hopefully, he can find another home soon.