Tyler Austin, a 34-year-old first baseman and former top Yankees prospect, agreed to a one-year major-league contract with the Chicago Cubs. Austin posted strong offensive numbers in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, including elite wRC+ marks and a 2024 batting title, .601 slugging, and 25 home runs. His NPB success included consecutive seasons with standout wRC+ values and significant power production. Austin played 209 MLB games earlier in his career with 33 home runs before moving to Japan in 2020. The deal includes $1.25 million in salary plus possible incentives.
"The Cubs have signed a player from Nippon Professional Baseball! It's not a name as big as Tatsuya Imai or Munetaka Murakami, but the deal is a really solid get for the Cubs' roster. As first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, Chicago is signing Tyler Austin, a former top prospect with the New York Yankees. Jon Heyman reported the financials, with Austin set to earn $1.25 million before possible incentives."
"Austin was drafted by the Yankees in 2010 and made his MLB debut in 2016. He was a top prospect in New York's system but never quite found his footing at the major-league level. In 209 MLB games, he totaled 33 home runs. After spending time with four different teams, Austin headed to Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2020 season."
Read at Cubsinsider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]