Yankees News: Former first-round pick Matt Krook designated for assignment
After a calamitous stint in the Majors, the New York Yankees designated former first-round pick Matt Krook for assignment on Monday. The 29-year-old Hillsborough, California, native was selected in the first round of the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft by the Miami Marlins after his stint with St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco, California.
Once considered one of the top amateur pitchers in the country, Krook originally intended to directly sign with the Marlins. However, a failed medical examination resulted in the team retracting their offer for the young hurler.
Krook then joined the University of Oregon Ducks' baseball team. He was once again selected by an MLB team, this time by the San Francisco Giants, in the 2016 draft. He was signed by the Giants on a minor league contract but was only able to play as high as High-A before being traded to Tampa Bay along with a committee of players in the Evan Longoria deal.
Eventually, the hurler found himself as a part of the New York Yankees in 2020, when he was selected by the organization in that year's Rule 5 draft. He started his stint with the Yankees in Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A. This was also when he made history for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after he finished the 2021 season with 155 strikeouts, which was a franchise record for the RailRiders.
The young pitcher then transitioned from a starter to a reliever starting in 2023. After an impressive performance from the bullpen, he was added to NY's main roster on May 27. He performed poorly, however, posting a 24.75 ERA in four innings pitched after giving up 8 H, 11 ER, 1 HR, and 6 walks.
Newly minted New York Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo shows up for Spring Training clean-shaven
After years of treating the New York Yankees as a rival organization, former Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo has shown up in the Bronx Bombers' spring training facility. Not just that, but with a clean-shaven look and decked out in Yankees gear. This is in accordance with the team's strict grooming policy.
Verdugo found himself landing in the Bronx after the Red Sox traded him for Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert, and Nicholas Judice last December. The high-octane outfielder will now look to help superstars Aaron Judge and Juan Soto as the team makes a bid for their first World Series title since 2009.