Yankees, Chris Carter agree to 1-year, $3.5M deal, says source

The New York Yankees have reached agreement on a one-year, $3.5 million contract with slugger Chris Carter, pending a physical, a source confirmed to ESPN's Andrew Marchand on Tuesday.

Sources told ESPN's Buster Olney that Carter will receive a $500,000 signing bonus on top of a $3 million base salary. The agreement was first reported by USA Today Sports.

"I am excited to go play for a bigger market team with more national exposure," Carter said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

Carter, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers last season, tied for the National League lead with 41 home runs in 2016. He also struck out an NL-high 206 times.

The 30-year-old first baseman was not tendered a contract after the season, making him a free agent. Prior to that, the Yankees had discussed trading for Carter, but instead signedMatt Holliday.

It's unclear how the Yankees will use the 30-year-old Carter; left-handed-hitting Greg Bird is expected to play first and Holliday is likely to be the regular designated hitter.

Carter spent the majority of the past two seasons playing first base but spent 120 games at DH for theAstrosin 2014.

"I'm ready for whatever role they give me," he said. "I know they have Holliday and I know Bird's there, so I'm looking to help the team in any way I can."

It has been a tough few months of uncertainty for Carter, who hit 102 homers in the past three seasons.

"It's definitely been tough having to wait this long in the offseason when spring training is so close," he said. "I'm glad to have this out of the way now so I can get out there at spring training and have a team and be out there with the guys."

Carter's successful 2016 season, during which he hit .222 with a career-best 94 RBIs while appearing in an NL-leading 160 games, came after a difficult 2015 when he hit just .199 for the Astros with 24 homers and 64 RBIs.

"After bouncing back last year I'm looking forward to having a better season and contributing to my new team," he said.

The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Carter was a 15th-round pick of the White Sox in 2005. He was traded to the Diamondbacks in December 2007, dealt to the Athletics later that month and made his major league debut with Oakland in 2010.

He was traded to Houston in 2013 and he hit 29 homers with 82 RBIs that season before tying for second in the majors with 37 homers and had 88 RBIs the following season.

Carter was benched in the summer of 2015 before working his way back into the Astros' lineup and hitting .344 in September to help Houston earn the second AL wild-card spot, its first postseason berth since 2005. He was also solid for the Astros in the American League Divisional Series before they were eliminated by the Royals, hitting .294 with a double, a homer and an RBI.

Carter started at first base in each of Houston's six playoff games and was a triple shy of the cycle in Game 3 of the ALDS, when he finished 3-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored.

In seven major league seasons, Carter has 150 home runs and 374 RBIs with a .218 batting average.

ESPN's Buster Olney and Andrew Marchand and The Associated Press contributed to this report.