TAMPA, Fla. _ Tyler Austin was fishing in the nearby suburbs when he heard the news that hurt his chances, more than any other player, of making the Yankees' big-league club out of spring training.
"Someone messaged me and said, 'Hey, the Yankees just signed Chris Carter,' " Austin said Monday afternoon. "I said, 'OK, that's fine,' and went right back to fishing."
Austin smiled. "Didn't catch anything that day," he said. "I don't know what that means, but ..."
General manager Brian Cashman tabbed Austin, 25, late last season as one of two players who would compete for the starting job at first base this year. Greg Bird all along has been the prohibitive favorite, which Cashman also repeatedly said, but Austin appeared in position to grab a backup spot with a strong spring training.
Austin, who is noticeably more muscular, was among the first to arrive at the minor-league complex for spring training prep. He's been there almost every day since the third week of January working not only at first base but also at third and in the outfield. Except for third, Carter can play those positions, too, though he's not an especially strong fielder. Still, Carter shared the National League lead with 41 homers last season, so his roster spot, at least at season's start, is all but guaranteed. Austin said his attitude hasn't changed.
"I think he's going to help the team and I'm going to go into spring and do everything I can to make the team," said Austin, who still can be optioned to the minors. "I'm just going to come in and try to make the team any way that I can, whether that's first, third, left field or right."
In 31 games last year, Austin played first, right, left and DHed. He homered in his first career at-bat Aug. 13 but finished with a .241/.300/.458 slash line, with five homers and 12 RBIs. Although his bat never truly got going, he played relatively well defensively, something he shared during a talk with the minor-leaguers here last week.
The message? Don't slack on your defense, it helped keep me in the majors even while I slumped offensively.
He's likely to see time at third in exhibition games _ the reason the Yankees have had him taking grounders there already _ and the position isn't unfamiliar to him. Austin played third his freshman and sophomore years in high school and in 2011 with the rookie Gulf Coast Yankees and then at Staten Island (he also played first that year).
"Once we get some game experience out there in left field and third base, I think I'll feel a lot better," Austin said, "But right now, I feel pretty good."
Although one might think Austin took extra motivation from Cashman's declaration that the organization's hope was for Bird to win the first-base job, he said that wasn't the case. Just as the signing of Carter doesn't have him overly upset.
"I'm not going to worry about what I can't control," Austin said. "Just play the game the way I know how to play it and enjoy it, because this is a big opportunity."
