Positive No. 2: Insurance
As I just mentioned, Chris Carter will likely be used just as an insurance option which is something the Yankees would love to have.
The apparent lead-dog in the battle for first base appears to be Greg Bird, who’s recovering from labrum surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2016 season.
If anything were to happen throughout 2017, manager Joe Girardi should be content with turning to a guy like Carter instead of Dustin Ackley, Chris Parmelee, Rob Refsnyder, Ike Davis and Billy Butler.
That rotation of first basemen was ugly last season, and with Tyler Austin not quite having his feet wet in the pros and the 37-year old Matt Holliday coming off an injury-riddled campaign, Carter could be thrown into a DH role if injuries or inefficiencies pop up.
Even in this part-time role, $3.5 million is a complete bargain for a player with Carter’s skill set. As later slides will tell you, he’s not an All-Star, but taking walks and smacking some home runs in his role will more than just live up to that contract.
