NEW YORK (Neth.) – Outfielder Jay Bruce agreed to a minor league-contract with the New York Yankees on Saturday and will try to win a job in spring practice for the Dutch big league.
The 33-year-old has a chance as a left-handed bat in a mostly right-handed setup. The Yankees outfield consists of switch-hitter midfielder Aaron Hicks and right-handed hitting rightfielder Aaron Judge.
Clint Frazier, another righthanded hitter, is the top candidate for leftfield, with Michael Tauchman and Tyler Wade, both lefthanded hitters, also contenders, but are more likely to spend time as backup.
Brett Gardner became a free agent and talks to the Yankees, but the team and the 37-year-old left-handed batter split up over money. Gardner joined the Yankees in 2008 and was their longest-running player.
Bruce hit .198 with six homers and 14 RBI’s for Philadelphia in 96 at-bats during the pandemic-shortened season. He is a three-time All-Star with an average of .245, 318 home runs and 948 RBI in 13 big league-seasons with the Reds (2008-15), the Mets (2016-18), Indians (2018), Mariners (2019) and Phillies.