Yankees claim outfielder Oscar Gonzalez off waivers from Cleveland
Cleveland Guardians' Oscar Gonzalez plays against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 29, 2023, in Boston. Oscar Gonzalez, whose walk-off single beat the Yankees in Game 3 of the 2022 AL Division Series, was claimed by New York off waivers from the Cleveland Guardians on Friday, Dec. 1. Credit: AP/Michael Dwyer
The Yankees on Friday claimed outfielder Oscar Gonzalez off waivers from Cleveland.
Gonzalez, 25, hit .214 with two home runs and a .551 OPS in 54 games for Cleveland in 2023.
The righthanded hitter had a better season as a rookie in 2022, when he hit .296 with 11 home runs and a .789 OPS for the Guardians.
The Yankees usually look for players with a good batting eye, but Gonzalez has 20 walks and 121 strikeouts in his two big-league seasons.
Gonzalez had a walk-off two-run single off Clarke Schmidt in Game 3 of the 2022 ALDS. He also is known for his walk-up song: the theme from the cartoon show “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
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