Marlins sign Neil Walker to 1-year deal
The Miami Marlins announced the signing of free-agent infielder Neil Walker to a one-year contract on Tuesday.
The deal is reportedly worth $2 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Walker spent last season with the New York Yankees, where he posted a career-worst .219/.309/.354 slash line with 11 homers, 46 RBIs, 24 extra-base hits, and 87 strikeouts over 113 games. He served primarily as a utility player for the Yankees, appearing in at least 15 games at four different positions.
In Miami, the switch-hitting Walker will primarily be used as one-half of a platoon at first base with the right-handed hitting Peter O'Brien, president of baseball operations Michael Hill told Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
The 33-year-old is a career .268/.339/.430 hitter with 1,127 hits, 141 homers, and 568 RBIs over 10 major-league seasons with the Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets, and Milwaukee Brewers. Walker won a Silver Slugger while with Pittsburgh in 2014.
To create room for Walker on the 40-man roster, Miami designated reliever Nick Wittgren for assignment, according to SiriusXM's Craig Mish.