The Yankees have signed first baseman Greg Bird to a minor league contract, reports Sweeny Murti of WFAN (Twitter link). Bird, who was just released by the Blue Jays after failing to crack the Opening Day roster, will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. If he cracks the big league roster, he’d earn a $1MM base salary, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
Bird returns to the only organization with which he’s suited up at the major league level. One of the better prospects in the New York system during his days in the minors, the lefty-hitting Bird debuted in the majors with a .261/.343/.529 showing in 178 plate appearances in 2015. That set him up as a possible first baseman of the future in the Bronx. Unfortunately, he missed the entirety of the 2016 season due to a shoulder injury that required surgery, and he’s yet to rediscover his debut-season form.
Over parts of three seasons between 2017-19, Bird hit just .194/.287/.388 in 522 plate appearances. New York designated him for assignment after the 2019 campaign, and he hasn’t played in the majors since then. Over the past two seasons, the former 5th-round pick has joined the Rangers, Phillies, Rockies and Blue Jays organizations on minor league pacts, but he hasn’t gotten another big league call. Reports this spring suggested he was seriously in the running for an Opening Day spot in Toronto, but the Jays opted for more defensive flexibility in promoting utility infielder Gosuke Katoh instead.
While Bird hasn’t had much big league success of late, he’s coming off a solid season with the Rockies top affiliate in Albuquerque. He hit .267/.362/.532 with 27 homers for the Isotopes — albeit in one of the most hitter-friendly environments in affiliated ball. The Yankees have fellow left-handed hitter Anthony Rizzo at first base, but Bird can step into the high minors as a depth option.
The Bird has come back to the nest.
It begins!!!!! Rizzo goes down…. Bird gets called up…. hits .300 with 15 HR’s in 200 AB’s.
future former future hall of famer
That’s not even a joke…how many times have we seen some version of that with the Yankees? Pretty darn common if you ask me!
Bird will be inducted along with Blake Swihart
Unless you are picking in maybe the top 5, don’t draft a catcher early. It just feels like a huge failure rate. I would just plan to spend $300k on a new international catcher every year.
Rizzo goes down, but Bird will go down before the week is over.
He’s BACKKKKKKK!
They sent him to the Jays this spring training to take notes.
2022 World Champion Yankees
Captain Judge99 You might just be the biggest D on this entire site. Are you a Yankee fan or just some clown who mocks everything they do? Reading some of your other comments you come across as a petulant ten year old boy with literally zero clue about the game. If they’re your team then pipe down and root for them instead of posting nonsense and insults on every move they make. It’s guys like you that give Yankee fans a bad name. What’s funny is that if they have a great season you’ll probably be the first one on here talking about how you knew it all along. Go root for the Mets bro they love to throw money at everything these days and it seems like that’s what you want.
Yeah it’s annoying but I ignore him
@Mystery Team- I love the Yankees. This off- season has pained me. I’m not expecting a great season. I don’t like to throw money around either. The handwriting on the wall was set when Boone and Ca$hman we’re retained. If I don’t like moves, I say so. There is nothing wrong with that as a true fan. Is there?
@CJ99 Have your fun, man. @MysteryTeam has his by ironically attacking others and name-calling.
@YBC- thanks brother! I was just figuring it was Troll Tuesday? I wondering who @Mystery Team favorite mystery team was? Can’t be the Yankees.
Excellent. Now Yankee fans can include him as the main piece in trades for every Cy Young candidate pitcher again!
All is not lost for this guy. He just needs a chance to stay healthy. Hoping he can catch on late and be something of a utility part time
Player.
Luke voit is 31 so always a chance
so you’re telling me there’s a chance?
I trust the Jays evaluation more than NY. AAAA for sure. Which means you can crack NYY roster but not be a top 30 Blue Jay.
Yeah because the Blue Jays win every year. Hey wait didn’t the Yankees at least get to the one game playoff? How’d the Jays do? That’s what I thought.
Nice conversation you had with yourself there, buddy. Lol
Based on some of his other comments, I think he might be new to the internet.
Oh did the Yankees played all their homes at Yankees stadium last year? Oh that’s what I thought! Jays smashing the Yankees this year and i will enjoy every bit of it!
Always remember that home run he hit against Andrew Miller in playoffs. Hopefully he can unlock his true potential.
NY Tankees
“Tanking” is a strategy of intentionally losing games in order to get a higher draft position. The Yankees are one of the few franchises that NEVER tank, They are always fighting for a playoff spot, at minimum. I contrast with, say, Houston, which at one point actually tried to be as bad as possible; and in another approach, Boston, who gave away some actual talent in order to free up their payroll from massive deadweight contracts.
He’ll be on the DL with a broken finger nail.
The pigeon has come home to roost.
I was surprised the Jays didnt take him north, but its kind of funny he declined to go to Jays AAA and instead chose Yankees AAA. Perhaps he was an embedded Yankee all along.
Much more likely to get AB’s with NY.
The eagle has landed.
this is a much closer daily commute from Providence for Petey.
How do we retread our own “untouchable prospects “ it almost comical. But give me opening day! And it’ll be just fine
I just want to go on record as saying I was one of those that liked Bird over Judge when they were both prospects. I’d like to think that I don’t miss that often, but when I do miss, I miss on an epic scale.
In your defense we don’t know what would’ve happened if Bird wasn’t injured. He had a really nice swing though, then the ankle problems set in & he was finished.
Interesting move on both sides. If I was in Bird’s shoes, I’d try to find a new team that might have an opening either at 1B or DH. I don’t see a path for him to get MLB ABs with the Yankees.
You would think the Orioles would be calling. And if he plays well for them, they could flip him at the deadline. A lot will have to go wrong for him to see any time in the majors with the Yankees.
Why would the Orioles want Greg Bird? They have Trey Mancini and Ryan Mountcastle.
Because they can play the outfield?
The Orioles have no need for such a long shot as Bird. He hasn’t been good in six years. The chances of him doing anything for anyone are too tiny for even a last place team to bother with. He’s AAAA fodder at this point.
He’s a Rizzo bad back from a call up.
I assume Bird may be interested because of the opt-out Rizzo has on his already-short contract and the existing lack of 1B depth in the Yankees system. Planning on getting healthy for a year & then making a run at MLB again, maybe?
Additionally, I wonder if he sees some of the younger guys hitting really well in the minors & seeks to capitalize on that coaching.
“I assume Bird may be interested because of the opt-out Rizzo has on his already-short contract and the existing lack of 1B depth in the Yankees system. Planning on getting healthy for a year & then making a run at MLB again, maybe?”
LOL. Greg Bird isn’t good. And no team, especially not the Yankees, are going to start him unless things get really desperate.
I never said they would start him, ever. I was writing about his possible motivation for joining the Yankees. I also never inferred that he was good. You really do take things way out of context. It’s almost frightening how poorly you can misinterpret otherwise clear sentences.
My brother and I are big Greg Bird fans
We are excited and hope he gets called up and saves the yanks from disaster
Guardians whiff again. Just gonna head into the season with the same motley bunch at 1B who collectively had one of the worst (if not THE worst) production at that position in MLB, and just hope they get better.
The prodigal son returns
Yankees sign Bird, roster Gonzales. Can’t do much better than that.
“Championship caliber.” Who needs Freeman or Correa.
Nothing to lose. Maybe he can finally stay healthy and be useful. Maybe at Dh, or r backup first base
Nice. He’d be a good back up first basemen if Rizzo gets injured. Bird has a swing similar to Josh Hamilton and it’s built for the short porch in LF at Yankee Stadium. Hopefully Bird can redeem himself this go around
He hasn’t played quality ball in six years. You don’t know that he is a good backup.
Yankee fans are a different breed LMAO.
Greg Bird… Cashman just can’t let go… The guy sucked when he was good….
For some reason I find this news very amusing !!!
Hell yeah! That’ll fix the offense.
Ducky, seeing a lot of negativity from yanks fans these days.
I still see the potential of a potent lineup. Health will be key but the top 5 in the batting order have a lot of power, I think DJ will rebound too
the rocket ball is back
djlm likes the rocket ball
Cashman is having a ball dumpster diving.
How much would you like him to pay for a third string first baseman, hmm?
The price is what I’d expect for a retread. It’s just the string of bargain bin finds for the Yankees… Bird, Locastro, McKay, Castro, Gonzalez. Gives me a good laugh (and I’m a Yankee fan).
The minor league team needs first basemen too
I’m glad they signed him.
“Bird put together a monstrous campaign for the Rockies’ Triple-A team in 2021, slugging 27 homers, driving in 91 RBI, and posting a .894 OPS across 112 games.”
Why not take a flier on him? He’s 29 years old with a beautiful left-handed swing. Jose Bautista was nothing special until he turned 29.
former yankee farmhand katoh makes the show. go go gosuke!