ender inciarte

New York Yankees: What you need to know about recent signings

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ender inciarte, yankees

Like the other 29 MLB teams, the New York Yankees can not have any major league transactions due to the MLB lock-out. The owners and players couldn’t come to an agreement before the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement on December 1. However, that did not tie their hand from signing minor league players as they are not members of the players association. As a result, the Yankees have improved their future with some of those signings.

Yankees signed free agent SS Jose Peraza to a minor league contract at the end of November. Peraza will give the Yankees an option going forward at short. The 27-year-old hit .204 last season with six home runs over 142 plate appearances with the New York Mets. He has a six-year career average of .266. Peraza comes to the Yankees with an excellent defensive record.

On December 15, the Yankees signed RHP Vinny Nittoli to a minor league contract. The signing of Nittoli is a bit perplexing. He pitched in only one game last season for the Seattle Mariners. In one inning, his ERA was 18.00. So it must be the Yankee scouts saw something that caused them to make this signing.

The Yankees also signed center fielder Ender Inciarte and Blake Perkins to minor league contracts. EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Alexander Wilson had this to say about Inciarte:

Inciarte was once a respectable player, but at 31-years-old, his best service comes in the form of depth and last-resort situations. The veteran outfielder started off his career in Arizona with the Diamondbacks, posting intriguing numbers, including a .278 average in 2014 and .303 in 2015.

Inciarte is an All-Star and three-time Gold Glover.

Blake Perkins is a 25-year-old switch-hitting outfielder that plays primarily in center field. The Washington Nationals drafted him in the second round of the 2015 draft. In 2018 with the Pacific Nationals, he hit .234 with one home run, 21 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases through 65 games. Last season, he hit .224/.330/.347 with eight home runs, 34 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases with two different minor league teams. Perkins will provide depth for the Yankees in center.

The Yankees also added Wilkerman Garcia, a 23-year-old shortstop, to their minor league fold. Garcia is another switch hitter; he has a career batting average of .284 with 12 home runs over five years in the majors. However, he had not played since 2019, when he was with four minor league teams in the Yankee organization. Luis Soho has called Garcia a defending solid shortstop.

 

Yankees make a depth outfield signing, but certainly not the one they need

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ender inciarte, yankees

News for the New York Yankees is slow, for obvious reasons. The Players Union and team owners are preparing to meet and discuss about core economic values in January, but a prolonged lockout seems like it’s all be guaranteed. With that being the case, we can expect plenty of irrelevant storylines, gossip, trade prospects, and mock deals, which are always fun until they’re not.

However, the Yankees did land a player recently via the transaction wire that went under the radar. According to Lindsey Adler of The Athletic, the Bombers signed Ender Indiarte to a minor-league deal, replacing a few weaker depth pieces that have since been let go this offseason.

Inciarte was once a respectable player, but at 31-years-old, his best service comes in the form of depth and last-resort situations. The veteran outfielder started off his career in Arizona with the Diamondbacks, posting intriguing numbers, including a .278 average in 2014 and .303 in 2015.

Arizona proceeded to send him to Atlanta, where he’s stayed since this most recent campaign, earning a Championship with the Braves. Bringing players over from successful teams is always ideal, whether they bring reserve talent or leadership mentalities.

What Ender Inciarte brings to the Yankees:

Inciarte only featured in 52 games this past season, posting a .215 average with two homers. He’s far from slugger and his best days are undoubtedly behind him, but he can serve as a valuable defender and decent enough hitter where he wouldn’t represent an automatic out. Ender was once a base-stealing monster, but his services in that department have simmered to single-digits.

This isn’t the big signing the Yankees imagined at this point in the off-season, but these are the depth pieces that eventually supplement injuries and make an impact. Considering Ender featured in 52 games for Champions this past year, we can expect to see him with the team in 2022 given he can make it through Spring Training.