Yankees sign Thames to minor-league deal
The Yankees signed outfielder Marcus Thames, who played six seasons with Detroit after debuting in the majors with the Yankees in 2002. (File photo, 2008) Credit: AP
Looking to add another righthanded bat, the Yankees signed Marcus Thames to a minor-league deal Monday.
Thames, a former Yankee who will turn 33 March 6, can play all outfield positions and first base and spent the last six seasons with Detroit. The Yankees, who signed switch-hitting outfielder Randy Winn on Jan. 27 and made that deal official Monday, had been in the market for a low-budget righthanded hitter.
Thames is expected to compete for playing time in left with Brett Gardner and Winn, though manager Joe Girardi has left open the possibility of shifting Curtis Granderson to left and keeping Gardner in center.
Thames, drafted by the Yankees in the 30th round of the 1996 draft and dealt to the Rangers in 2003 for Ruben Sierra, is a career .243 hitter with an on-base percentage of .306. He has had some success against lefties, homering off the Diamondbacks' Randy Johnson in his first major-league at-bat in 2002 while with the Yankees. Thames has a .516 slugging percentage in 620 career at-bats against lefthanders.
Thames hit .252 with a .323 OBP, 13 homers and 36 RBIs in 87 games in 2009. He hit 25 homers in 2008 and a career-high 26 in 2006. Thames started 50 games at DH, 20 games in left and two games at first last season.
Notes & quotes: The Yankees announced their full list of non-roster invitees, including outfielder Reid Gorecki, a former Kellenberg star: LHPs Wilkins Arias, Jeremy Bleich, Kei Igawa and Royce Ring; RHPs Grant Duff, Jason Hirsh, Zach McAllister, Amaury Sanit, Zack Segovia and Kevin Whelan; OFs Colin Curtis, Jon Weber and David Winfree, and Cs Kyle Higashioka, Jesus Montero, P.J. Pilittere, Mike Rivera and Austin Romine . . . The Yankees' World Series trophy, back from last week's tour of Asia, will be on display at West Point from 1-3 p.m. Tuesday.
More Yankees headlines
