“Goodbye”: Greg Bird released off his minor league duties by the New York Yankees

“Goodbye”: Greg Bird released off his minor league duties by the New York Yankees

Greg Bird

On Wednesday, The New York Yankees officially released the first baseman Greg Bird from his minor league contract. He has spent the entire season working up with the Rail-Riders up to this point, struggling in his return to the Yankees’ organization after signing a minor league deal in early April.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, New York’s Triple-A affiliate, announced the 29-year-old first baseman’s release. Greg Bird appeared in 59 games, hitting .218/.325/.354 with six home runs and 22 RBI. Bird showcased his impressive striking parts for four big league seasons in the Bronx from 2015-2019.

YouTube video

Greg Bird was originally drafted by the Yankees in the fifth round in 2011. He was considered a major part of the New York Yankee core back then but injuries limited Bird to just 186 games over that span. He now probably won’t make a storybook comeback to the New York Yankees.

FS Video

After spending 2021 on the Colorado Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate, Bird opted out of a minor-league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays this spring. He re-joined the Yankees, who cut the 29-year-old after he hit .218/.325/.354 in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Also Read: “Can’t step inside Rogers Center”: Major League Baseball list out awe-inspiring unvaccinated players who cannot enter Canada

Greg Bird bids farewell to New York Yankees contract

Greg Bird
Greg Bird

Greg Bird’s most satisfactory and biggest moment in the Yankees jersey came during the 2017 ALDS, a memory etched deep in the hearts of Bronx fans, he homered off Cleveland reliever Andrew Miller to break a scoreless tie in the seventh inning of Game 3. Greg Bird hit three longballs that October.

Bird, once viewed as the savior for the mid-2010s Yankees, never managed to fly as high as anticipated after shoulder surgery knocked him out of the 2016 season before it even began.

“He can hit,’’ Aaron Boone revealed his thoughts on Greg Bird. “Health has always been the issue for him, but I don’t think anyone’s ever doubted his potential and what he could be as a big-league hitter. We get another talented guy who appears to be healthy. … Injuries derailed him and never let him build volume or momentum.”

Also Read: “Ow! That coach hit me hard”: Kenneth Wendt, a little league coach rough-housing 9-year-old junior baseball players

Since the Yankees drafted him 11 years ago and once thought they had a future fixture at first, it’s still a bitter ending to his tenure. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre also released catcher David Freitas on Wednesday. He was slashing .239/.310/.345.

Also Read: “Not a true friend”: Derek Jeter divulged upon the fractured friendship with Alex Rodriguez after 2001 comment