NEW YORK — The New York Yankees have added a familiar profile to their spring training roster. The club signed veteran first baseman and outfielder Seth Brown to a minor league contract on Monday.
Brown spent his entire seven-year MLB career with the Athletics organization. He brings positional flexibility that mirrors the player the Yankees are still trying to retain. Like Cody Bellinger, Brown can handle first base and all three outfield spots.
The move comes at an interesting time for the Bronx Bombers. Negotiations with Bellinger and agent Scott Boras have reached an impasse over contract length. The Yankees have offered a five-year deal worth roughly $160 million with two opt-outs. Bellinger’s camp wants seven years.
A tale of two seasons
Brown showed genuine power potential during his first two full MLB seasons. In 2021 and 2022, the left-handed hitter combined for 45 home runs and 129 RBI across 261 games. He posted a 114 OPS+ during that stretch, well above league average.
His 2022 campaign stood out. Brown hit .230 with 25 home runs, 26 doubles and 73 RBI in 150 games. No other Athletic hit more than 18 home runs that year. He finished with a barrel rate in the 90th percentile.
But production dropped sharply after that. In 2023, his OPS+ fell to 93. The following year brought a 91 mark. Then came 2025, when everything fell apart.
A brutal 2025 campaign
Brown managed just 38 MLB games last season before the Athletics released him in late June. He hit .185 with one home run and three RBI in 76 plate appearances. A left elbow injury that caused tennis elbow symptoms contributed to his struggles.
The timing at the plate never clicked. Brown averaged just an 87.2 mile per hour exit velocity in his limited sample. That number sat well below his career mark of 89.5 mph.
He signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks in July on a minor league deal. Brown then crushed Triple-A pitching at Reno. He slashed .291/.381/.544 with six home runs and 21 RBI in 26 games. Reports indicated he went .500 with seven homers in just nine contests at one stretch.
Brown triggered an upward mobility clause and was released on Aug. 10. He finished the year unsigned.
Why the Yankees took a flier
Brown excels at one specific skill: pulling the ball in the air. Over his career, he has averaged a 21.6% pulled fly ball rate. Last season that number jumped to 28.6%. That figure would have tied for 10th in MLB with Eugenio Suarez if Brown had enough playing time.
As a left-handed hitter, that tendency could produce extra home runs at Yankee Stadium. The short porch in right field measures just 314 feet down the line. It rewards hitters who can elevate the ball to the opposite field.
Bellinger proved that point in 2025. He hit 18 of his 29 home runs at Yankee Stadium and posted a .909 OPS at home. That mark ran nearly 200 points higher than his road numbers. The ballpark fit his swing perfectly.
The Yankees believe Brown could tap into similar benefits. If he can increase his exit velocity back to 90 mph or above, the stadium dimensions might do the rest.
The Bellinger standoff continues
Make no mistake about the timing here. The Yankees signed Brown one day after reports surfaced that they would not engage in a bidding war for Bellinger.
Bob Klapisch of The Star-Ledger reported that the Yankees have made an internal decision to let Bellinger walk if another team makes a bigger offer. The club believes its current proposal represents fair value for a player entering his age-31 season.
“Yankees have made an internal decision not to engage in a bidding war for Cody Bellinger if Mets or anyone else swoops in with a blow-away offer,” Klapisch wrote on social media. “Yankees believe they’ve made a fair proposal. They’re prepared to let Bellinger walk.”
The two-year gap between what the Yankees will offer and what Bellinger wants has become the central issue. New York views seven years as too long given his age and his rough three-year stretch from 2020 through 2022.
What Brown brings to camp
Brown will likely earn an invitation to big league spring training in Tampa next month. His most direct path to a roster spot runs through left field. The Yankees still need consistent production from either Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones.
If both young outfielders struggle and Brown catches fire in Florida, he could force his way onto the Opening Day roster. The other option would be first base if New York uses Ben Rice behind the plate more often.
Brown owns a career .226/.292/.419 slash line with 74 home runs and 233 RBI across 568 games. He has logged 197 games in right field, 172 in left field, 159 at first base and 28 in center.
He will reunite with former teammate Paul Blackburn if he makes the roster. The Yankees acquired Blackburn from the Athletics last season.
A low-risk gamble
This signing costs the Yankees nothing beyond the league minimum if Brown earns a spot. It provides insurance at multiple positions. And it sends a subtle message about their willingness to move forward without Bellinger.
The AL East looks more competitive than ever. The Red Sox, Orioles and Blue Jays all made significant upgrades this winter. New York has remained relatively quiet while rivals spent freely.
Brown is not Bellinger. He does not move the needle with the fanbase. But if he can recapture some of his 2021-22 form in a hitter-friendly environment, the Yankees will have found value in an overlooked corner of the market.
The 33-year-old will turn 34 in July. He has everything to prove and nothing to lose. That desperation might be exactly what the Yankees need from a depth piece entering a pivotal season.
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