Didi Gregorius has decided to take part in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, according to Jon Morosi.
Xander Bogaerts, Andrelton Simmons, Jonathan Schoop, Didi Gregorius and Jurickson Profar all expected to play for Dutch WBC team. @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 23, 2017
As Morosi noted, Gregorius is not the only player that has elected to suit-up for the Netherlands. Along with the names mentioned above, all-star closer Kenley Jansen will play for the Dutch in March. The Netherlands’ most famous WBC moment came back in 2009 when they upset the Dominican Republic in the preliminaries. Four years later, the Dutch finished fourth in the WBC, solidifying themselves as a legitimate threat.
The Yankees were able to breathe a sigh-of-relief yesterday when Masahiro Tanaka told reporters that he was not going to participate in the 2017 WBC. They did not receive the same news from Gregorius, who will represent his home country. In 2013, Gregorius strained his ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing arm while preparing for the WBC, forcing him to sit out the tournament.
In 2016 Gregorius established himself as an important part of the Yankees future, finishing the season with 20 HRs and a .751 OPS, both career highs. Consequently, management can only hold their breath hoping that their star shortstop stays healthy this time around.
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