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Yankees sign Chris Denorfia to minor-league deal

The veteran will give the Yankees a right-handed option off the bench.

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Yankees have signed outfielder Chris Denorfia to a minor-league deal, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. Denorfia has joined the team's spring training camp in Tampa.

Denorfia joins Shane Victorino (Cubs), Will Venable (Indians), and David Murphy (Red Sox) as veteran outfielders to sign minor-league deals since the beginning of spring training. He will compete for a spot off the Yankees' bench, giving the team some right-handed hitting depth behind a starting outfield of Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran.

Denorfia, 35, spent last season with the Cubs, posting a .269/.319/.373 line while hitting three home runs in 103 games. The veteran has spent time with the Reds (2005-06), Athletics (2008-09), Padres (2010-14), Mariners (2014) and Cubs (2015) since breaking into the majors, and has posted a lifetime .272/.330/.392 line.

As our updated free-agent tracker shows, Denorfia is the first major-league free-agent to sign with the Yankees this winter (albeit on a minor-league deal).