Slugger Reynolds reaches deal with Yankees
Designated for assignment by Indians, infielder had Yanks' number in '12
Mark Reynolds is taking his power stroke to the short porches at Yankee Stadium.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the slugger has reached a deal with the Yankees, who have not commented on the acquisition. Reynolds, designated for assignment by the Indians last week, torched New York late last season, when the former Oriole tallied three multi-homer games in a span of four contests.
Baltimore let Reynolds leave via free agency last offseason, and the veteran landed with Cleveland. For the Tribe, he batted .301 with eight homers and 22 RBIs in 23 games in April, but hit only .187 with seven homers and 26 RBIs in 76 contests thereafter.
Altogether, his .215 average and 15 long balls were not enough to warrant him a regular spot in manager Terry Francona's lineup.
"He's a guy that carried us the first month of the season," Francona said. "And then from that point to here, it's been pretty rough. It was getting harder and harder to find at-bats so he could get hot, because I think we all felt like he had a streak in him."
Reynolds is known to be a streaky hitter with plenty of power potential. He swatted 44 round-trippers in 2009 with Arizona. Only twice in seven years, however, has he batted better than .240. He led his league in strikeouts for four straight years, from 2008-11.
Reynolds, who signed a one-year deal with a base salary of $6 million prior to the 2013 campaign, is eligible for free agency at season's end.