The New York Yankees have officially released veteran infielder Andrew Velazquez from his minor league contract, as announced by their Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, on Sunday.
Velazquez, a switch-hitter and Bronx native, signed with the Yankees this past January but failed to make the club’s 26-man Opening Day roster after hitting .214/.250/.333 in 44 plate appearances during spring training. He was subsequently assigned to Triple-A, where he played in 87 games, slashing .244/.315/.342 with four home runs, 32 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases across 311 plate appearances.
Originally selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh round of the 2012 MLB Draft, Velazquez was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014 in a package deal for starter Jeremy Hellickson. He made his MLB debut with the Rays in 2018, appearing in 23 games before being traded to the Cleveland Guardians in 2019, where he played in five more.
After being designated for assignment by Cleveland in 2020, Velazquez was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles, where he struggled offensively during the pandemic-shortened season, posting a .159/.274/.206 slash line over 40 games.
The Yankees brought Velazquez back on a minor league deal in December 2020. He made 28 appearances for his hometown team in 2021, batting .224/.235/.358 and gaining praise for his glove work and hustle.
In November 2021, the Los Angeles Angels claimed Velazquez off waivers, and he spent most of the next two seasons with the Halos. During that stretch, he hit .191/.242/.300 with 11 homers, 31 RBIs, and 30 stolen bases in 179 games.
He was later picked up by the Atlanta Braves in September 2023 and re-signed on a minor league deal for the 2024 season, though he never made a big league appearance with the club.
Now 30, Velazquez is a free agent once again, hoping to find another opportunity to contribute at the major league level.