3:50pm: Sizemore has opt-out dates of May 1 and August 1, if he isn't on the Yankees' 25-man roster, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. In a second tweet, Sherman reports Sizemore had two Major League offers, but saw more opportunities with the Yankees.
10:55am: The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with infielder Scott Sizemore, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports (Twitter link). Ken Davidoff of the New York Post reported earlier today that the two sides were close to an agreement. Sizemore is represented by ACES.
Sizemore missed the entire 2012 season after tearing his left ACL, and played in just two games in 2013 before suffering the same injury. The Athletics outrighted Sizemore off their 40-man roster in November and the Marlins were rumored to be interested in his services this offseason. Sizemore, 29, hit .239/.329/.382 with 14 homers over 592 career PA with the A's and Tigers in 2010-11 and was a contender to be an everyday player for Oakland before his knee injuries.
With his experience at both second and third base, Sizemore is a potential good depth fit for the Yankees' bench as the Bombers look to replace both Robinson Cano and the suspended Alex Rodriguez. Kelly Johnson is the favorite for the starting job at one of the two infield positions, with Eduardo Nunez also capable of playing both positions and Brian Roberts in the mix at second.
Edward Creech contributed to this post.
Good depth signing, I look forward to seeing who mans the hot corner for the Yankees next season, the competition at 3B this ST should be interesting. I’m pulling for Dean Anna to get playing time from either 2nd or 3rd base.
His minors stats look pretty promising. I know his defense isn’t the best, but wonder if he has the arm for 3b.
now lets get masahiro tanaka!
Really dont see him going anywhere else. Dodgers are stacked in their rotation and Angels are a mess and not as high profile.
He did play a good 3b for the A’s before the injuries hit. He can hit enough to play in the majors but that knee is the problem. Wish him luck because his injuries have been very bad luck.
Still hoping this kid can realize some of his potential. Never wanted the Tigers to lose him, and continue to look forward to seeing him succeed one day, even if it’s not in Detroit.
I still would like to see them sign Michael Young. He hit almost 280 last year and can also play 1st and 2nd as well as DH if need be. Best part of signing him is that you know he can still play efficiently.
2b? That would be ugly.
Well, I don’t have good memories of this guy. One of the worst hitters in recent memory.
160 career games with an OPS+ of 95. In his one season where he played 110 games in 2011 (which makes up 69% of his career games played), his OPS+ was 105. And he’s one of the worst hitters in recent memory?
Check his stats with numbers with the Tigers, they were putrid and he was a big time prospect
48 games and 163 PA. Not a great sample size at all.
You don’t need a sample size when you see a guy and it is evident he doesn’t have the confidence, patience, or bat speed to hit MLB pitchers. He is a AAAA player.
He may have not hit in Detroit but he hit OK in Oakland. His numbers are not flashy but hits better than a utility player. He can hit enough to be a 8th or 9th hitter. His defense is good and has a good eye at the plate. He is more than a AAAA player just needs to stay healthy.
How do you know he has no confidence?
No patience? In 2011, he was ranked 18th in all of baseball in BB% out of 203 players with a minimum of 400 PA
Bat speed? I don’t know to find league average numbers but his contact percentage is 79% for all pitches and 86.3% for pitches in the strike zone.
Sizemore is a quality player but there’s no need to oversell him; if he was worth anything, he wouldn’t have been signed to a minor-league deal on January 11.
And what does it say about him that he would rather be a bench player for the Yankees than a possible starter for Houston/Miami?
I”m not saying he’s a great player or anything but he’s had a very short career thusfar with slightly below average numbers hitting wise (95 OPS+). I was just mainly responding to someone’s ridiculous claim of him being one of the worst hitters in recent memory.
As a 2B if he can improve a tad with the bat he should be fine. The bar is pretty low for middle infielders, and his 2011 stats suggest he could be a decent filler. Low average, but he takes enough walks to work out.
Was hoping they would try to sign Jeff Baker to platoon with Kelly Johnson at 3B
Roberts/Nunez at 2B
Jeter/Ryan at SS
Baker/Kelly Johnson at 3B
that looks like a shaky infield to me… with the bat and glove.
28th last year in wRC+ at SS and dead last at 3B. Shaky, yeah kind of, but it’s a huge improvement over last year. A little bit below average >>>>>>>> Worst in the league
that’s provided the yankee infield finishes “a little bit below average” in 2014. Just because many of the pieces have changed, it doesn’t imply an uptick in performance before the first pitch is made in the new season. Johnson is not a regular 3B. Nunez is unproven at 2B. Roberts and Jeter are 50/50 on playing a whole season. Ryan can’t hit. To me, a competitive Yankee team is more exciting baseball all around. I just don’t see them being very competitive with platoons at 2b, 3b, and SS.
Won’t argue against that. As of now, I’d say they are no higher than 3rd in their division and maybe at best a 2nd WC team. But season hasn’t started so we wait and see. I think pitching should be their main concern. More so in the bullpen since they are 1 starter away from having a complete rotation with CC/Kuroda/Nova/FA starter possibly/mix of starters for last spot. If they don’t get a FA starter, then the last 2 spots go to 2 starters somewhere in the roster – Pineda, Phelps, Warren, Nuno, etc.
If they don’t add another arm they have no chance, you can’t count on a single internal arm for even 190 innings in 2014. I think their best bet to compete in 2014 is signing both Tanaka and Jimenez.
I agree. Hence the If on my post because free agents can go anywhere of course
Jimenez, please! Both Phelps and Warren have more upside than Jimenez. The guy is asking $20 mil per year, and I wouldn’t give him $5 mil. Go look at his record the past 3 years–He had one great half season as a rookie, and Cleveland emptied their minors to trade for him and the first two years he was 13-21 with an era of over 5. Big deal–he was 13-9 last year with an era of 3.30, but he walks a ton. His only strength is strikeouts, that is when he finally finds the strike zone. Phelps is 10-9 with an era just north of 4, and Warren is 3-2 with a sub 4.00 era. Both are as good and both come a lot cheaper than bringing in looser Jemenez. And Garza is a lifetime .500 pitcher. And Ervin Santana is only good for home run derby!
Read this awhile back but like Soriano at second
Soriano is 38 years old. He hasn’t played 2B regularly since 2004… 10 years ago. He no longer has the lateral movement. He doesn’t want to play 2B anymore.
Not to mention that when he was playing 2B back in his 20’s he was pretty bad. This isn’t a video game, sometimes players can’t handle.
Must be something with the name sizemore
hopefully not but enjoy the bottom when your whole infield is question marks!
Does Sizemore mean injury prone in some strange baseball language? Haha tough break for this guy getting hurt two years in a row.
I know Yankees fans aren’t crazy about him but they should look into Daniel Murphy. He was always the man with no position and that’s because of David Wright, 3B was always his best position and now he’s made himself into an average 2B ( improving every year) and 1B. He’s a hard worker (learning 2B & 1B),a hustler and gives 100% every game. He hit .286 13HR and 78RBI on a pathetic Mets team. He also hit atleast 5 warning track fly ball outs in citifield that would have been gone in Yankee Stadium. I really think he can be a .300 15-20HR 80+RBI guy with the Yankees and their lineup. And don’t forget his 23 SB and he’s only 28yrs old! (Some youth that the Yankees need) Yankees have way too many platoons in the infield and are way too old also.
But what do the mets want for him is the prob. I doubt they signed Grandy to trade another one of their younger starters.
Well Daniel Murphy is on the trading block but just as you said what do the Mets want, and from what I read it sounds like a lot. The Reports are the Mets would move him for “the right price”, if they do they would move Eric Young Jr to 2B this way they could have his speed in the top of the lineup and hope he could hit like he did in 2012 for Colorado batting .325.
Between Roberts and Sizemore, they’ve got about 15 games covered at second base. Only 147 more to go!
Can’t go wrong with a minor league contract.
I still think they need to bring in Baker, he’s by far the best option available to platoon against LHP.
Cashman has been masterful on the over haul of this team, if they can sign Tanaka and Balfour they will be in the hunt in the AL East.
Is he related to Grady Sizemore?
Perhaps they have genetically bad knees…
If it was ‘Astros to Sign Scott Sizemore’, this post would have maybe ten comments.
Heck, with all of the injuries the Yanks had last year, all of the minor league contracted players Cash signed up came in handy and kept NY in the playoff race up until almost the end last year. More than half of the position players the Yankees used last year were minor league signings. At one point last year, the only starting position players on the field were Cano and Stewart. With the likes of Tex, Gardner, Granderson, A-rod and Jeter out.