7:02pm: The Yankees have formally announced the signing.
5:04pm: The Yankees have agreed to a new minor league contract with free-agent first baseman Adam Lind, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (Twitter links). Lind, who was with the club for a portion of Spring Training, is represented by ISE Baseball.
Lind, 34, was given his release by the Yankees on March 14 after it became apparent that he didn’t have a clear path to the big league roster. However, Greg Bird underwent ankle surgery shortly thereafter, and the Yankees will soon see Tyler Austin serve a suspension of up to five games following last week’s brawl against the Red Sox, though Lind may not be ready in time to help out in that regard. Cotillo adds that he’s expected to report to extended Spring Training, where he’ll ramp up in preparation after the downtime following his mid-March release.
The veteran Lind is coming off a strong season with the Nationals, having raked at a.303/.362/.512 clip and clubbed 14 homers in 301 plate appearances. He’s posted an OPS+ of 123 or better in four of the past five seasons — an ugly 2016 in Seattle being the lone exception — and batted a combined .282/.348/.473 through 2142 plate appearances in that time.
Of course, he’s not without his limitations. Lind has a disastrous .217/.263/.329 slash against left-handed pitchers over the course of 12-year MLB career and is largely limited to first base on the defensive spectrum. The Nats did trot him out to left field for 197 innings last season, though that marked his first work on the outfield grass since 2010, and he unsurprisingly did not rate well there in the estimation of defensive metrics.
Welcome back Adam
Dang, if he had waited a day he could be a Brave
Not every free agent signing can be a Brave. There are 29 other teams.
Pfft. Name them.
Huh, guess it can’t hurt. Neil Walker isn’t hitting and it seems foolish to rely on Greg bird until he proves consistent health. Austin has performed well, and could form a nice platoon with Lind considering their ability to mash lefties and righties respectively.
I personally think that Gregs injury history has been a long streak of flukes outside of maybe the injury that sidelined him for the entire 2016 season. That being said, I imagine that they are not happy with Walkers performance and Lind might step in for Walker to face righties while Austin faces lefties. Then when Bird comes back it will be Bird facing righties and Austin lefties.
At least thats how I’d go about it.
Sounds like a good take. I like it!
It says a lot about a) his likely prior asking price and/or b) the way clubs are too focused on fantasy team statistics. He should have been signed by some team long before now. Not saying he’s great but no MLB job yet?
It is really odd. Apparently there are too many 1B / DH. Or that teams have too much emphasis on trying out younger players.
Part of the problem is that with tiny benches it’s hard to carry bat-only platoon players who aren’t the primary DH. When you only have a 3 or 4-man bench, three of those spots have to be taken up by guys with defensive value (C, IF, OF) and it’s much harder to carry a classic pinch-hitter type.
Totally agree. They need to develop pitchers not throwers. Would love to go back to the 10 man staff so we can get back to baseball. Sad I don’t see this happening but as an AL fan, I hate the DH. It was brought in to create offense. The way the ball or bat is juiced, they no longer need it. Moving outfielders is what we did in little league. Where will this nonsense end? Allowing players to return to the game after being taken out? Starting at 2nd base in the 10th inning?…
Couldn’t agree more. Hate DH. That said, it is everywhere but NL and it would be very brave to eliminate it. What we need more than anything is same rules both leagues!
I’d prefer 28-man rosters, a limit on pitchers, and a three-man daily inactive list, like the NHL does. The team would deactivate the previous and next two game’s starting pitchers and then have three extra bench guys – pinch-runners or defensive specialists or some bat-only pinch-hitter type.
Good in theory but will only make the game longer. Need to eliminate the number of pitching changes and to do that as I previously posted, they need to teach pitching. There used to be one lefty specialist, one closer and four all purpose pitchers. Add to that a four man staff equals ten pitchers. They then when needed brought up somebody for a doubleheader game. Now that there are more days off built in, the time is right to bring the radio game back. Even on radio it’s now hard to listen due to the commercials. Ti add insult to injury every other play it seems has a sponsor.
I’m surprised MLBPA hasn’t pushed for 26-man rosters to carry that extra bullpen arm.
Any added roster spaces will only make the game longer. Let’s force managers to actually manage. Sometimes that means sacrificing a pitcher and making him work through trouble to save the rest of the bullpen.
How is it a bad thing if the game is longer?
Agreed. You build your team one way then have to play in the WS half your games differently.
Naturally longer is fine. Beauty in the sport in part is the lack of a timer. That said, the game today is modeled after a video game instead of the other way around. Game was in the past simple to compare players of different generations and that’s another great part of the game. it’s impossible now due in part to PEDs, smaller playing fields, equipment differences (my belief to artificially create excitement). Fake offense (not meant as a Trump tweet) only makes the game longer. Look at the NFL. They added length to the game by basically eliminating defense and of course instant replay. Then they changed the rules on when the clock stops. Combine that with rule changes because kickers greatly improved and the game is different. Not better in my view. Why were kickers penalized for perfecting their skills?
Thank God because he is a perfect home run hitter for that porch..
maybe then Walker can stay in one place and bird can recuperate for the Umpteenth time. geeze Louise!!!
He’s not an quick fix. It will take him awhile to be ready.
This gives the Yanks an upgrade agains’t righty pitchers, good move!
Lefty bat needed. Remember a couple a years ago when the Yankees had too many lefties? Now they have too many righties hahahaha
Don’t care what, or who, like Mark Reynolds; Adam Lind deserves an opportunity. Happy it’s with my team.
Lind, 34, had a .303/.362/.513 batting-line with 14 homers in 301PA, with the Nationals as a part time player, in 2017
I genuinely don’t understand how no one else signed him?
Thank God! Some veteran leadership and some stability.
He looks so evil in this picture
He kinda looks like Richard Spencer in this photo, so yeah…
I tried to google up some info to use for dookie-posting but all I came up with was some stories abou some chubby reality tv guy who apparently is not a good father, though he does have a sik mohawk
Wow…. the bottom of the barrel came really quick.
Even though it’s true you shouldn’t out yourself like that.
I see what you did there. Bravo, sir!
What a creepy picture to use
This Greg Bird injury is seriously hurting the right side of the infield. I am seriously hoping that Torres and Bird can perform to expectations once they are both in the big leagues.
Bird is ALWAYS injured. Who expects anything? Frankly, it was stupid for the Yankees to NOT bring in a veteran back up. Just throw that on the pile of yet another Cashman blunder.
Rafael Palmeiro: “Ahem!!! I’m still available! Just sayin.”
I know it’s early and all but we need some damn pitching or different pitching coach.