TAMPA — The Yankees signing of free-agent first baseman Chris Carter to a one-year, $3.5 million contract last week didn’t alter Tyler Austin’s mindset entering spring training.
“I am going to come in and try to make the team anyway I can,’’ Austin said when asked Monday at the minor league complex about Carter, the veteran who tied for the NL lead in homers (41) last season with the Brewers. “Whether that is first, third, left, right or utility. Whatever the case is.’’
Even before Carter surfaced, Austin’s chances of making the club out of spring training weren’t good. Greg Bird returning from shoulder surgery is the starter at first. Aaron Hicks is the reserve outfielder and Ronald Torreyes backs up at third, short and second. Austin also has minor league options remaining.
Austin, 25, played third base and caught in high school. He was moved from third to right field after one year in the minors.
In 31 big league games last year Austin, who was fishing when he heard of the Carter signing, batted .241 with five homers and 12 RBIs after resurrecting his prospect status by hitting .323 with 13 homers and 49 RBIs in 57 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Eric Duncan, a former first-round pick of the Yankees, is making quite an impression as a hitting coach. After two years as a part-time coach at Single-A Staten Island, Duncan will be the Single-A Tampa Yankees hitting coach.
“He is intelligent, communicates well, has a passion for hitting and cares about the players,’’ minor league head Gary Denbo said of Duncan, the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2003 out of Seton Hall Prep. “He brings good energy every day and holds the players accountable.’’
Duncan played in the Yankees’ system from 2003-2009.
Luis Severino and Adam Warren threw live batting practice Monday at the minor league complex, and Masahiro Tanaka worked in the bullpen.
On the eve of pitchers and catchers reporting the Yankees added two pitchers. Right-hander J. R. Graham and lefty James Reeves are non-roster invitees and up the number of players in camp to 65.
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