The Yankees made some news earlier this morning when it was announced the minor league signing of Greg Bird.
The Yankees have signed 1B Greg Bird to a minor league contract. Bird opted out of his minor league deal with Toronto to re-sign with the Yankees and will report to AAA @swbrailriders.
— Sweeny Murti (@YankeesWFAN) April 5, 2022
Not too long ago, it looked like Bird was going to be the long term Yankees first baseman. Instead, injuries derailed his career and he left the Bronx following the 2019 season. Afterwards, the tall lefty bounced around baseball with stints with the Rangers, Phillies, Rockies and finally with the Blue Jays this spring.
While Bird has yet to re-appear in the majors, he was a productive bat in the minors last year, slashing .267/.362/.532 with 27 home runs as a member of the Rockies’ top affiliate. Meanwhile, this spring he put up a nearly identical line while adding a couple long balls.
While it remains to be seen if Bird can find his way back to the Bronx, he does add some minor league depth with a relatively direct path to the majors. If any Yankee infielder is injured outside of shortstop, the Yankees could pivot DJ LeMahieu to that position leading to a likely call up for Bird as the backup first baseman.
