Report: Yankees Sign Marcus Thames to Minor League Deal

The New York Yankees have signed free-agent outfielder Marcus Thames to a "non-roster" contract, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com. The one-year contract is worth $900,000, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. The deal returns Thames to the organization that drafted him in 1996.

The soon-to-be 33-year-old Thames was released by the Tigers, for whom he played parts of six seasons. Previously, he appeared in seven games for the Yankees in 2002 and 30 games for the Rangers in 2003.

He is a career .242 hitter with 101 home runs and 261 RBIs. He is expected to compete with Brett Gardner and Randy Winn for playing time, with Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson expected to occupy right and center field, respectively.