Mike Yastrzemski is the longest-tenured player on the current San Francisco Giants roster, but at 34 years old, his time with the team could be coming to an end.
Yastrzemski will hit arbitration for the final time of his career this offseason, but with the Giants potentially going with more of a youth movement, it remains to be seen if he’s in their plans.
Viewed as a fan favorite because of how he conducts himself on and off the field, there’s value in keeping someone like the left-handed hitting outfielder on the roster.
Even if Yastrzemski doesn’t play every night, he’s proven to be a valuable professional, hitting 15 home runs in every season besides one during his six-year career.
Losing someone who loves the organization doesn’t help San Francisco reach their goals, but business is business, and Yastrzemski shows up to work every day with a smile on his face.
He spoke with Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle about the upcoming decision the Giants have to make on his future, highlighting his love for the franchise.
“I want to stay here as long as possible; I’ve grown so in love with this place, the stadium, the fans, the clubhouse, staff, the ownership, the front office, the city. Everything’s been so great.”
Yastrzemski is on a $7.9 million deal this campaign. With another year in arbitration, that figure should only increase.
San Francisco could be willing to pay it because he’d still be relatively cheap, but there’s also a scenario where they could get him for a better price if they sign him to a standard contract.
The Massachusetts native is willing to take a two-year deal with a cheaper average annual value to stay with the club.
“If I could sign something like that, I would love to do so,” Yastrzemski said. “Obviously, I don’t ever want to put so much pressure on that side of things to make anybody wary, and I’m not a guy who is necessarily in a position right now to be like, ‘I want to go out and test the market and see who’s going to fight for me the most.’ I feel like this is the team that I want to fight for the most.”
From the sound of things, Yastrzemski really wants to continue playing with the Giants.
If the feelings are mutual, expect a deal to get done.
However, with plenty of holes on the roster, every dollar counts, and that could be the deciding factor on whether he returns.
