The Yankees have shown a real affinity for lightning-in-a-bottle left-handed-hitting minor league depth signings, last year successfully with Matt Carpenter and this year less successfully with others like Franchy Cordero. It makes sense — sign guys who are known commodities and hope they figure something out or catch fire for a short stretch while the starters return from injury. Of course, the Yankees probably won’t be running out guys like Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun, and Billy McKinney the whole season, so all they need is a two-week spurt of offense.
Bauers has provided an above-average bat and solid defense.