The Yankees signed first baseman Russell Branyan to a minor league deal with a spring training invite, reports Dan Martin of the New York Post. The move does not impact the team's pursuit of Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Raul Ibanez, notes Martin, though it could affect their interest in Eric Chavez. Branyan will make $750K plus incentives if he makes the big league roster, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
Branyan, an ACES client, hit .197/.295/.370 in 146 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks and Angels last year. The D'Backs released him in May. The powerful left-handed hitter has 194 career home runs and a .485 slugging percentage.
