Didi Gregorius set to play in Puerto Rican Winter League

There’s been radio silence on Didi Gregorius since the Philadelphia Phillies released him on Aug. 4.

As the 32-year-old looks to revive his career, he’s slated to play for Cangrejeros de Santurce in the Puerto Rican Winter League, the team announced this week. Matt Rappa of That Balls Outta Here was the first to note this transaction.

¡Le damos la bienvenida al campocorto holandés, Mariekson Julius "Didi" Gregorius!🦀⚾️

Nota: Podrás adquirir tus boletos de abono desde HOY, lunes 26/sept accesando a través de https://t.co/ackovlPzEG.

Pedientes a nuestra plataforma para más detalles.#SanturceTuJefe pic.twitter.com/4YJmeoyqpr

— Cangrejeros de Santurce (@SanturceLBPRC) September 26, 2022

It’s unclear if Gregorius has had any offers to play affiliated baseball since his release from the Phillies. Presumably if there had been a chance to join a Major League team, he would have taken it.

2022 was the final year of a two-year/$28 million deal that the Phillies rewarded Gregorius with after he posted an .827 OPS during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

But as Gregorius’ defensive metrics continued to dip at shortstop, so too did his offensive output. Since the start of the 2021 season, Gregorius has slashed just .210/.267/.345 with a .613 OPS in 166 games.

A positive showing in the winter could go a long way in helping Gregorius to generate interest before the 2022 season, but he’s still likely looking at signing a minor-league deal with an invite to big league camp.

In addition to looking to demonstrate that he can still bring value at the plate, it would also behoove Gregorius to show some more defensive flexibility. Given that he has -16 defensive runs saved and -20 outs above average at shortstop since the start of 2021, his days as a starting shortstop are likely numbered.

During his 11-year career, Gregorius has played for the Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees, swatting 134 home runs and posting a .728 OPS.

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