Sep 17, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Chris Carter (33) hits a grand slam home run during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have signed Chris Carter to a one-year, $3.5 million contract. So, let’s weigh the positives and negatives. 

Despite the roster being “99.9 percent set,” the New York Yankees signed 1B/OF Chris Carter to a one-year, $3.5 million contract for the 2017 season.

The reaction amongst fans was quite mixed.


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Some love the power, some hate the strikeouts. Some love the bargain of $3.5 million, some wish Brian Cashman invested in a starter. Some love the insurance, some think Tyler Austin could have been efficient in the same position.

All in all, there are positives and negatives in this signing — like every contract every team agrees to.

Elite Sports NY will break down each aspect of the deal and shed light on whether or not to expect the Yankees to get the better end of the stick with Chris Carter.

As always, make sure your voice is heard in the comments below and give us your take on what could be the Yankees last move before pitchers and catcher report to Tampa.


The Positives

Positive No. 1: The Power

The greatest trait Carter owns is his ability to smash the ball out of the ballpark.

Since 2013, the 30-year old has hit 131 home runs — good enough for the sixth-most home runs in major league baseball. Last season, he finished tied with Nolan Arenado for the most home runs (41) in the National League.


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There’s seeing the numbers, and then there’s seeing Carter’s 2016 spray chart at Yankee Stadium:

Photo via Ben Diamond

That spray chart shows that if Carter played at Yankee Stadium last season, five batted balls (that were either flyouts, doubles or triples) would have left the yard.

Bottom line: there is some insane power that should translate very well to arguably the most hitter-friendly park in the majors.

There is more to look at, though.



When his numbers are compared to other Yankee hitters with at least 500 plate appearances in 2016, Carter leads the list in home runs, RBI’s, walk percentage, isolated power, slugging percentage and OPS.

Yes, he strikes out a ton (we’ll get to that later) but for $3.5 million, the production Carter brings to the table — even as an insurance option — should be worthwhile.

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 AckleyChris ParmeleeRob 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.

Positive No. 3: Cheap, One-Year Commitment

If you like comparisons, you’ll love this one:

  • Chris Carter:
  • One year, $3.5 million, .222/.321/.499, .821 OPS, 27 doubles, 41 HR, 274 TB, 206 K
  • Chris Davis:
  • Seven years, $161 million ($23 million Avg.), .221/.332/.459, .792 OPS, 21 doubles, 38 HR, 260 TB, 219 K

Again, this is a steal for a player like Carter, which makes the best-case scenario so much sweeter for New York.

If he absolutely rakes, then this further proves my testimony that this signing is a bargain and the slugger could help illuminate the power outage that has taken place in the Bronx.

If he continues to strikeout at a high rate and loses his ability to smack dingers, then you simply let him walk at seasons end or just cut him at some point in 2017.



Or, if he’s nothing more than a power bat on a team that’s not contending, Cashman might be able to obtain an average haul for him at the deadline from a team in desperate need of power.

Negative No. 1: The Strikeouts

Remember when I said he has hit the sixth-most home runs since 2013? Well, Carter also owns the second-most strikeouts in that same span.

His strikeout rate in 2016 sat at a frustrating 32 percent — behind only Chris Davis (32.9 percent) of the Baltimore Orioles.



Carter, despite how much I hype up his power is a flawed player. Single dimensional, can’t run the bases well, can’t defend well and is basically the type of athlete Cashman has been trying to steer away from in recent years.

Throw his bat in the same lineup with Aaron Judge, and that’s a ton of strikeouts for a lineup that is suddenly reliant on righty power.

Negative No. 2: No Flexibility 

If you look at the 2017 Yankees roster, one of its best traits is versatility.

Tyler Austin can play four positions, Ronald Torreyes and Rob Refsnyder are utility guys, Aaron Hicks can play all three outfield positions and even Matt Holliday can give you time in the outfield or first base.


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The last game Carter played in the outfield was 2014 and in 79 career games (mostly in left field), he owns a .951 fielding percentage with a shocking -21 defensive runs saved above average.

To add salt to the wound, his -4.1 Base Running (BsR) rating by FanGraphs was the fifth-worst in the National League while his Clutch rating of -1.33 was the sixth-worst.

He can only play one position fairly well (.991 Fld% at 1B), can’t run the bases and can’t come through in the clutch? That’s certainly not the type of mediocrity you want to see in year two of a rebuild.

Negative No. 3: Hey, What About Tyler Austin?

At this moment in time, the one player that is most affected by the one-year deal to Chris Carter is Austin.

Even after the signing of Holliday, Austin was not only expected to give Greg Bird a run for his money at first this spring and be his insurance, but he was also supposed to be that late-inning pinch hitter against dangerous southpaws out of the ‘pen.

Now, it appears as though that job is Carter’s to lose and it’s almost guaranteed that Austin is in a position where he has to scratch and claw for a roster spot.

If Austin has a tremendous spring and the Yankees are still looking for Aaron Judge to bud into the slugger he’s supposed to be, the 6-foot-7 righty could start his campaign in Triple-A. Or if Judge adjusts, that could mean Austin is the odd man out.

What I’m trying to say is: 2017 was supposed to be about assessing the young talent in the organization while ridding themselves of ugly contracts.

While Cashman didn’t add the latter, every at-bat Carter takes is one taken away from seeing what a youngster could do. But, I’m sure the Yankees won’t care if his power translates to Yankee Stadium as it’s supposed to.

After all, I’m sure the Yankees would have added more to the win column with the signing of a starter or lefty reliever, rather than investing in a slugger who maintained a negative win probability added in each of the past two seasons.

What do you think, fans? Are you content with the signing or emphatically enraged? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.

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