Matt Holliday Signs One-Year Contract With Yankees

Matt Holliday (Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports)

The New York Yankees on Wednesday officially announced the signing of free agent outfielder Matt Holliday. The deal is a one-year contract through the 2017 season.

Holliday batted .246 (94-for-382) with 48 runs scored, 20 doubles, one triple, 20 home runs and 62 RBI in 110 games with the St. Louis Cardinals last season. For his career, Holliday has batted .303 with 1,104 runs, 448 doubles, 32 triples, 295 home runs and 1,153 RBI in 1,773 games. He has played for the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, and St. Louis Cardinals, making the Yankees the fourth organization of his major league career.

Holliday provides Yankees manager Joe Girardi with some added depth and experience. It’s likely the right-handed hitting Holliday will be the teams primary designated hitter. He can also play some outfield as well as first base if Greg Bird or Tyler Austin do not take a firm grasp on the job.

After trading Carlos Beltran before the trade deadline last season, and with Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez calling it a career, the Yankees were in need of some offensive firepower. Rookie of the Year runner-up, Gary Sanchez, is expected to take over the starting catcher position and provide middle of the order pop while the team will be counting on youngsters Bird and Aaron Judge to help as well. Adding Holliday lengthens the lineup.

Holliday has had ten seasons with 20 or more home runs in his career.