Cubs Sign Tyler Austin to One-Year Deal After Six-Year Power Surge in Japan
The Cubs are adding some right-handed pop to their lineup, signing former Yankees and Twins first baseman Tyler Austin to a one-year, $1.25 million deal. It’s a notable return to Major League Baseball for the 34-year-old, who’s spent the last six seasons mashing in Japan.
Austin’s overseas numbers speak volumes. With the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, he slashed .293/.377/.568, launched 85 home runs, and drove in 236 runs across 1,491 plate appearances. That kind of production, even in a different league, doesn’t go unnoticed-especially when you’re a right-handed bat with a history of punishing left-handed pitching.
Originally drafted by the Yankees in the 13th round back in 2010, Austin once carried top-100 prospect hype. MLB Pipeline had him at No. 75 in 2013, and Baseball America wasn’t far behind, ranking him 77th. But like many prospects, the road to MLB success wasn’t linear.
Austin made his big-league debut with the Yankees in 2016 and showed flashes of the power that made him a prospect to watch. Over parts of three seasons in New York, he hit .230/.287/.459 with 15 homers and 43 RBI in 85 games.
His most memorable moment in pinstripes might not have come at the plate, though-he was at the center of a benches-clearing brawl with the Red Sox in 2018 after charging the mound on Joe Kelly. That moment cemented his place in the rivalry’s recent lore.
Later that year, the Yankees dealt him to the Twins in a trade for Lance Lynn. Austin made the most of his brief time in Minnesota, slugging .488 with nine homers in just 141 plate appearances and posting a 110 OPS+.
But his stint was short-lived. After just two games in 2019, the Twins designated him for assignment and traded him to the Giants.
San Francisco gave him a longer look, but the results were mixed. In 70 games, Austin hit .185/.279/.400 with 8 homers, and his 78 OPS+ reflected the struggles. He was DFA’d again in August and landed with the Brewers, where he posted a .200/.370/.450 line in limited action-just 27 plate appearances-but showed signs of life with a 112 OPS+.
Then came the move to Japan, and that’s where things clicked. Despite battling injuries during his time with the BayStars, Austin proved he could still hit when healthy. His power numbers and on-base skills translated well, and now he’s earned another shot in the majors.
In Chicago, he joins a Cubs team that already has a first baseman in Michael Busch, who’s coming off a strong season with 34 home runs, a 147 OPS+, and 4.6 bWAR. But Busch struggled against left-handed pitching, hitting just .207/.274/.368.
That’s where Austin fits in. The Cubs are expected to use him in a platoon role, starting at first base against lefties and giving the lineup a more balanced look.
It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward signing for the Cubs. If Austin can bring even a portion of his NPB production back to the big leagues, he could become a valuable piece-especially in matchups where his right-handed bat gives Chicago an edge.