Inciarte inks Minors deal with Yankees
The Yankees have added to their centerfield depth by inking Ender Inciarte, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner and 2017 National League All-Star, to a Minor League contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
Inciarte, 31, owns a career .290/.333/.383 slash line across eight big league seasons with the D-backs (2014-15) and Braves (2016-21), winning Gold Glove Awards in three consecutive seasons (2016-18).
Injuries have hindered Inciarte of late. He hit .215/.276/.316 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 52 games for Atlanta last season before he was designated for assignment in July. He played briefly in the Reds’ Minor League system before being released in late August.
Inciarte was among four Minor League signings made by the Yankees on Wednesday. Also inked were shortstop Wilkerman Garcia, center fielder Blake Perkins and right-hander Vinny Nitolli.
Garcia, 23, is a switch-hitter who has spent his entire pro career in the Yankees' organization, compiling a .234/.288/.318 slash line across five Minor League seasons from 2015-19.
Garcia has played 252 of his 348 professional games at shortstop, appearing at second base (58 games) and third base (29 games). He spent all of this past season on the Minor League injured list.
Perkins, 25, has previously played in the Nationals' and Royals' Minor League systems. In 564 pro games, the switch-hitter has batted .232/.336/.328 with 28 homers, 181 RBIs and 105 stolen bases.
In 72 games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas in Kansas City’s chain last year, Perkins hit .202/.319/.332 with seven homers, 30 RBIs and nine steals.
Nitolli, 31, made his Major League debut on June 23 with the Mariners, tossing one inning and allowing two runs against the Rockies.
In 41 innings at Triple-A, Nitolli posted a 5.05 ERA but registered 51 strikeouts against 10 walks. Nittoli owns a career 12-17 record with a 4.61 ERA in 123 Minor League games (10 starts) in the Mariners, Blue Jays, D-backs, Twins and Mariners organizations from 2014-21.