KANSAS CITY – As Kyle Higashioka stood by his locker Saturday night, he tried to avoid a trip down memory lane.
The catcher had just concluded a 2-for-5 night at the plate that also saw him gun down two Royals runners from behind it. The game, a 5-2 Yankees win in the penultimate contest of the season, may have been Higashioka’s last with the team.
“I don’t really think about it too much,” he said when asked about the possibility. “In this position, I can’t, just because we’re still playing. But I’ve been with this organization for half my life. So eventually, obviously, you either retire or you get traded or whatever. It’s not gonna last forever.”
Higashioka, the Yankees’ longest-tenured player, has been a part of the franchise since it used a seventh-round draft pick on the Edison High School product in 2008. A Huntington Beach, Calif. native, Higashioka made his debut in 2017 as a 26-year-old after nearly a decade in the minors.
He is not an impending free agent, but the Yankees’ catching depth makes the arbitration-eligible Higashioka a candidate to be traded or non-tendered this offseason.
While those are not guaranteed scenarios, the Yankees also have a Platinum Glove winner in Jose Trevino and a rookie catcher who has made a strong first impression in Austin Wells. There is also Ben Rortvedt, who has been paired with ace Gerrit Cole since Trevino went on the injured list with a wrist injury early in the second half.
Trevino underwent surgery, but he plans on being ready for spring training.
If Saturday was Higashioka’s final game of the season, the 33-year-old will end his campaign with a .235/.275/.412 slash line, 34 RBI, and a career-high 10 home runs, a figure he matched in each of the previous two seasons. The defense-first backstop has played in a career-high 91 games, but he’s only appeared in six contests since September began.
Following Saturday’s game, Aaron Boone was asked about Higashioka potentially leaving and what the positive influence has meant as a Yankee.
“Longest tenured guy. Just such a great person,” Boone said. “It’s been fun to watch him grow. When I got here, he probably had a cup of coffee or a little bit of time in the big leagues. To see him come up and gradually just gain confidence and gain a presence and gain a voice, it’s been a pleasure being that guy’s manager.
“A guy that is just an awesome teammate, has clearly established a really nice career for himself. But he’s just one of those guys that when you say his name, it makes me smile. You take from this game a lot of the relationships you have, and I certainly have a strong appreciation for my relationship with Higgy.”
Higashioka also spoke of the connections he’s made in pinstripes, ones that he will cherish regardless of what happens this winter.
“All the relationships that I’ve made here are incredible, especially with my teammates, the coaches, even some of the front office staff,” he said. “I mean, I’ve known them forever. So whatever happens, happens. I’m just gonna try to go out there and do my best for the team. In the offseason, that’s out of my control.”
Should this be the end of Higashioka’s time with the Yankees, he will also leave the club with a handful of signature moments. Those include catching Corey Kluber’s no-hitter in 2021 and Domingo Germán’s perfect game earlier this year.
“If I look back on my time in the big leagues with the Yankees, I’ve been lucky to have quite a few really memorable moments,” Higashioka said. “Just having the playoffs for almost every single season and a no-hitter, the perfect game, walk-off hit. There’s been a lot of moments. I’d like to win a World Series at some point, but this is all hypothetical.
“So I’m not gonna get too in-depth on this, but I mean, it’s been a lot of really cool moments.”