After nℱine years in the Yᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚankees’ system, Greg Bird is going to experience life outside of the organization that drafted him in the fifth round of the 2011 draft.
Bird finalꦦized a minor-league deal with the Rangers on Tuesday that includes an invite to big-league s𝕴pring training.
For the 27-year-old Bird, who was cut loose by the Yankees in November after playing in 10 games last season d🐠ue to a tear of the left plantar fascia, joining the Rangers provides a fresh start following a Yankees career dominated by promise but hindered by injuries.
Bird surfaced in 2015 to replace an injured Mark Teixeira and hit .261 with 11 homers, 31 RBIs and posted a .872 OPS in 46 games. That per꧑formance was enough to believe the left-hande♓d hitting Bird would eventually replace Teixeira at first base.
However, Bird missed all of 2016 due to right shoulder surgery. Right ankle surgeries limited him to 48 games in 2017 and 82 games in 2018. Bird was the Yankees’ Opening Day first basemaಌn last season and homered. However, he went on the injured list in the middle of April after 10 games and didn’t play again.
With Luke Voit, Mike Ford, DJ LeMahieu and possibly Miguel Andujar to play first b♈ase this season, the Yankees designated Bird for assignment and he became a free agent on Nov. 27.
In parts of four seasons and 186 games with the Yankees, Biಌrd hit .211 with 32 homers, 98 RBIs ♛and posted a .725 OPS.
Bird, a Colorado native, also drew inte꧋rest from the Rockies as a free agent.
Ronald Guzman and Danny Santana are Rangers on the 40-man roster with first base experience. Guzman, a left-handed hitter, played 81 games at first last year. Santana, the right-handed hitting utility man, appeared in 44 games at first b💃ase.