New York Yankees' Gold Glove Outfielder Elects Free Agency With Opt-Out Clause

A veteran with a strong pedigree has decided to test the waters of free agency
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The New York Yankees likely will lose a piece of organizational depth in the coming days due to a stipulation in the slugger's contract. 

According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, New York Yankees outfielder Kole Calhoun is exercising the June 1 opt-out clause in his contract and will become a free agent unless he is added to the major league roster within the next 72 hours.

Calhoun signed a minor league deal with the Yankees on April 20. The Bronx Bombers assigned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he implemented a swing change, per Morosi. 

Overall, Calhoun is slashing .293/.402/.561 with a .963 OPS, four home runs and 18 RBIs in 82 at-bats for the RailRiders this season. 

If Calhoun becomes a free agent, he is expected to draw heavy interest around the league. 

That said, there is still a chance that the Yankees call the 35-year-old up to the big leagues. The Yankees could use outfield depth at the major league level considering center fielder Harrison Bader went on the injured list again, this time for a hamstring strain.

New York also released Aaron Hicks, plus sent Oswaldo Cabrera and Franchy Cordero down to the minor leagues to make room for Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson.

The Yankees have already gotten some production out of Willie Calhoun; now they can try to squeeze some out of Kole Calhoun should they choose to call him up.

Read more from Inside the Pinstripes:
- Yankees Named Front-Runners in Shohei Ohtani Sweepstakes
- Former Yankees Outfielder Signs With AL Contender
- White Sox Reportedly Shopping Ace, Yankees Should be Interested
- Yankees Place Bader Back on IL
- Ex-MLB Manager Believes Big Changes are Coming for Yankees


Published
Pat Ragazzo
PAT RAGAZZO

Pat Ragazzo is the main publisher and reporter for the Mets and Yankees On SI sites. He has been covering the Mets since 2018 and Yankees since 2021. Pat was selected as The Top Reporter & Publisher of the Year 2024 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for outstanding leadership, dedication, and commitment to the industry. He has appeared on several major TV Networks including: NBC4, CBS2, FOX5, PIX11 and NY1; and is a recurring guest on ESPN New York 880 AM and WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM. Pat is also the Mets insider for Barstool Sports personality Frank "The Tank" Fleming’s podcast. You can follow him on Twitter/X and Instagram: @ragazzoreport.