Chris Carter, who tied for the National League home run lead last season, agreed to a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the New York Yankees.
The deal, which is subject to a successful physical, includes a $500,000 signing bonus, a $3 million salary and $500,000 in performance bonuses: $100,000 each for 250, 300, 350, 400 and 450 plate appearances.
“I am excited to go play for a bigger market team with more national exposure,” Carter said Tuesday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.
Carter, whose career-high 41 home runs last season matched Colorado’s Nolan Arenado for tops in the NL, became a free agent in December when Milwaukee failed to offer a 2017 contract.
Carter hit .222 with a career-best 94 RBIs while appearing in a NL-leading 160 games last season. He played 155 games at first base in his first year in the NL after spending the first six years of his career in the American League with Oakland and Houston. Carter’s 27 doubles, 122 hits, 76 walks and 84 runs scored last season were also career-highs, but he struck out 206 times.