The New York Yankees may see an old friend when they play the Chicago Cubs this season.
The Cubs agreed to terms with journeyman first baseman Tyler Austin on a one-year, $1.25 million contract according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
A 13th-round draft pick of the Yankees in 2010, Austin spent his first two-plus seasons in the Bronx. He slashed .230/.287/.459 with 15 home runs in 86 games with the Yankees before they traded him to the Minnesota Twins as part of a package to acquire starting pitcher Lance Lynn in 2018.
Tyler Austin Has Been Tearing It Up In Japan
Yankees fans may remember Austin as one of the prospects, along with Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, who were called up amid the lost 2016 season where New York went 84-78 and reloaded with younger players.
Austin hit five homers and posted a .758 OPS that season while primarily playing first base in 2016.
But Austin never became the player that Sanchez, or of course Judge, has. Austin has not played in the majors since 2019 when bounced between Twins, San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers. He also represented the U.S. at the 2020 Toyko Olympics.
But Austin is trying to make a comeback in North America after tearing up Japanese ball the past six seasons playing for Yokohama of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Austin slashed .293/.377/.568 with 95 homers and 275 RBIs in 1,491 plate appearances over 403 games and is hoping his adjustments offer a second life in MLB.
Austin still is only 34 years old, and even though durability has been an issue — he played 100-plus games only twice in his six pro seasons in Japan — the Cubs won’t need the righty hitter to be an everyday player.
The Yankees Missed Out On Another Free Agent
The Yankees likely were not targeting Tyler Austin, since Ben Rice’s breakout season at first base leaves them in good shape, even against lefties where he posted a respectable .752 OPS in 119 plate appearances.
Still, the Yankees could use a depth first baseman like Austin to back up Rice, especially if Rice is going to play catcher more in 2026. Oswaldo Cabrera is currently deemed New York’s backup first baseman according to the team’s depth chart, and he has only played 19 major-league games at the position and is still recovering from a season-ending ankle injury.
Of course, Cody Bellinger could be the fill in at first base if the Yankees can land the highly sought-after free agent. But at this point, who knows if that will happen — or when Bellinger will make his decision to sign with any club.
Meanwhile, the Yankees have watched rivals like the Baltimore Orioles (Pete Alonso, Ryan Helsley), Toronto Blue Jays (Dylan Cease) and Boston Red Sox (Sonny Gray) improve around them.
So morale is shaky in the Yankees Universe, especially after the New York Mets plucked Luke Weaver from the Bronx earlier this week.
Even though they seem content to largely run back the 2025 roster — manager Aaron Boone called it the most talented roster he ever had in eight seasons — a free-agent signing before Christmas, even a minor one, would give fans a boost.
Former Yankees Prospect Returns to MLB With Cubs After Stint in Japan