Report: Yankees, 2 Other AL East Teams Eyeing Free Agent Nunez
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Yankees are reportedly interested in bringing Eduardo Nunez back to the place where he began his career, but they have competition from a couple of division rivals.
According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Yanks and Boston Red Sox have expressed interest in the third baseman, and the Tampa Bay Rays are keeping close tabs on him, too.
The Yankees originally signed Nunez as an international free agent in 2004. The Dominican broke into the majors in 2010 and played four seasons for the Yankees, mostly in a utility-infielder role. After Nunez got lost in a numbers game, the Yankees traded him to the Minnesota Twins in April 2014.
MORE: Yankees Opening Gates Extra Early For Stanton, Judge Spring Batting Practice
Nunez's breakout season came in 2016, which he split between the Twins and San Francisco Giants. He batted .288 with 16 homers, 67 RBIs, 73 runs scored and 40 stolen bases.
He was traded again last season, from the Giants to the Red Sox. Combined, he batted .313 with 12 home runs, 58 RBIs, 60 runs scored and 24 steals, despite missing most of September with a knee injury.
If the Yankees don't make a move in the infield, they could end up starting two rookies -- Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres -- which general manager Brian Cashman has admitted is not ideal during a season when the Bombers are considered serious World Series contenders.
