Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Yankees have reached an agreement with utilityman Cooper Hummel on a Minor League contract. The 30-year-old has played catcher and outfield across his big-league career, playing some first and third base as well to make him even more versatile. With a .159 average and 52 wRC+ across 82 MLB games, Hummel has struggled to get much going with his bat, but the Yankees are hoping that his recent success in the upper levels of the Minor Leagues is an indication of what he can provide from the right-handed side.
Against left-handed pitching, Hummel has a .269/.412/.445 slashline with a .378 wOBA over the last two seasons, and the Yankees hope that patient approach can translate to the big leagues if he’s promoted.
Cooper Hummel Signs With the Yankees on Minor League Deal
During Spring Training, Cooper Hummel was on the Houston Astros’ roster hoping to make the team out of camp, but his .435 OBP and 141 wRC+ were not enough. Searching for opportunities elsewhere, the Yankees and Hummel were able to reach an agreement on a Minor League deal that would pay him $800,000 if he were to make the Major League roster. Given the lack of right-handed depth on the roster right now for the Yankees, there’s a chance that Hummel could get some at-bats.
His experience in the corner infield could help him since the Yankees have only Pablo Reyes and Oswald Peraza, with neither player particularly standing out to the organization. While the young Peraza has a home run to his name, the Yankees don’t believe enough in the player to get him in games consistently, and Reyes has been unimpressive on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball early on. The Yankees adding Cooper Hummel gives them some extra insurance as they try and configure a roster that has a perceived weakness against LHP.
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This weakness against LHP has not been fully felt, as the Yankees blasted the Brewers’ lefties while putting together some rallies against lefties with some home runs. The Bombers have not struggled to hit so far, but they would like to bet on the career sample sizes of their everyday regulars against LHP instead of overreacting to small sample sizes and leaving themselves exposed in late-game situations where they lack the bench options to have a pinch-hitter come into the game.
Cooper Hummel will report to Triple-A with the Scranton RailRiders, but if the Yankees feel as if he’s ready to get promoted or an injury pops up, they may turn to the switch-hitting veteran for some support. He’s played with the Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Astros at the Major League level but was drafted by the Brewers in the 18th Round of the 2016 MLB Draft.