The Yankees and free-agent second baseman Brian Roberts agreed on a one-year contract for $2 million with incentives, pending a physical, and came to terms with lefty reliever Matt Thornton on a two-year, $7 million deal, also pending a physical.
Roberts, a 36-year-old switch-hitter who has played his entire 13-year career with the Orioles, has been limited to 192 games across the past four years due to injuries. This past season, he batted .249 in 77 games with a .312 on-base percentage. It was the most games Roberts appeared in since he played in 159 in 2009 and batted .283. He has a career average of .278 and on-base percentage of .349.
Roberts is a two-time All Star, but the last time he made the AL squad was 2007. Since his big 2009 season, Roberts has dealt with injuries including: a herniated disk in his back, a strained abdominal muscle, multiple concussions, hip surgery, an operation for a sports hernia and a strained hamstring.
Because of his age, injury history and the Yankees’ minimal financial commitment, it’s hard to view Roberts as Robinson Cano’s full-time replacement.
Thornton, 37, was an All-Star for the White Sox in 2010 when he struck out 12 batters per nine innings and averaged 96.1 mph on his fastball. Those numbers declined to 6.2 strikeouts per nine and 94.2 mph in 2013, when he was traded to the Red Sox in midseason.