New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spent the day adding to the fringes of his roster.
After reports broke that New York signed pitcher Cody Poteet, the Yankees announced they claimed outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday. Once the Poteet signing is official, the Yankees will have a full 40-man roster.
A former first-round pick of the Texas Rangers, Thompson has produced very little in the minors and major leagues. In 223 MLB at-bats across two seasons with the Texas Rangers, the outfielder has a .242/.286/.305 slash line (41 OPS+) with one home run, 13 RBI and 22 steals (five caught). He has a 29.9% strikeout rate and a 4.6% walk rate in his career.
Thompson, 25, essentially has one skill: speed. His 30.4 mph sprint speed ranked in the 100th percentile, one-tenth shy of league leaders Elly De La Cruz (Reds) and Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals) in 2023, according to Statcast. Even though Thompson is fast, he is considered more of an average fielder, though he has played all three outfield positions.
