When the Yankees signed Marwin Gonzalez to a minor league deal last March, not much was expected of the veteran utility man.
Gonzalez ultimately provided little offensively in his lone season with New York, slashing a mere .185/.255/.321. But the former Astros champion parlayed his minors deal into an Opening Day roster spot and spent the entire season in the Bronx. And while his bat was well past its prime, Gonzalez added versatility, playing every position except catcher and center field over 85 games. He even pitched at one point.
All this is to say that MiLB signings can impact the big league club. The Yankees have made several more this offseason, and a few currently have paths to potentially helping New York in 2023.
While none of the Yankees’ new minor league signings come with the résumé Gonzalez did, here are a few that have a shot at making a difference – if only a small one – this coming season.
Willie Calhoun
The Yankees’ biggest remaining hole is in left field, but external options are limited at this point in the offseason. Internal choices include Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, Estevan Florial and now, Calhoun. A lefty hitter, Calhoun was once a top-100 prospect in the Rangers’ system and had success in 2019, when he hit 21 homers over 83 games. Calhoun has dealt with injuries and has appeared in just 126 games since then, but he’s only 28 and could get a chance to compete if the Yankees don’t make a significant addition in left field.
Tyler Danish
Danish was an Indy ball pitcher as recently as 2020, but the righty threw in a career-high 32 games for the Red Sox in 2022. Those outings didn’t go particularly well for the 28-year-old – he recorded a 5.13 ERA – but Danish’s curveball/sinker-heavy repertoire and above average ground ball rate (47.2%) could help him earn some more appearances out of New York’s bullpen.
Wilmer Difo
An eight-year veteran, Difo has major league experience at every position except catcher and first base. And with Gonzalez taking his versatility to Japan, the Yankees are down a super-utility man. However, Cabrera is the best candidate for such a role – if he doesn’t spend most of his time in left – and Isiah Kiner-Falefa could also offer infield flexibility if he loses the starting shortstop job to prospects Oswald Peraza or Anthony Volpe. Difo, 30, may have to spend some time in the minors before an opportunity opens up.
James Norwood
Norwood hasn’t had much success over 48 MLB games (5.48 ERA) with the Cubs, Padres and Phillies, but the Bronx native has a big fastball and impressive strikeout rates (27.3% in the minors last season). With a few tweaks, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the 29-year-old righty makes a few scattered appearances in 2023, similar to what Ryan Weber did last season.
Billy McKinney
A former Yankees prospect, McKinney originally joined the organization in 2016 as part of the Gleyber Torres-Aroldis Chapman trade with the Cubs. New York then sent the outfielder to the Blue Jays in a trade for J.A. Happ two years later. Now McKinney is back with the Yankees on a minors deal – and with 263 games of MLB experience. McKinney, 28, has been a poor big league hitter (.206/.277/.387), but the lefty swinger can play left and first base.
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