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New York Yankees News: Carlos Corporan Signed To Minor-League Deal

By Kenneth Teape

Jun 24, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Carlos Corporan (3) hits a double and drives in two runs during the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Athletics defeated the Rangers 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Carlos Corporan (3) hits a double and drives in two runs during the fifth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Athletics defeated the Rangers 8-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Yankees News: The Yankees signed a potential backup catcher in Carlos Corporan, formally of the Texas Rangers, Tuesday evening.

The New York Yankees continued to shape their roster on Tuesday night, agreeing to a minor-league contract with catcher Carlos Corporan. Corporan had previously played with the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers, and will not try and earn a spot with the Yankees major league roster in Spring Training.

The news of the signing was first reported by Chris Cotillo of SB Nation, as he sent out the news via his Twitter account.

Corporan began his career with the Astros, playing with them from 2011-2014 before spending the 2015 season with the Rangers. He would only last the one season with the Rangers, as he struggled mightily at the plate. In 121 plate appearances backing up Chris Gimenez and Robinson Chirinos, Corporan slashed an unsightly /.178/.244/.299 with 15 RBI.

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Normally players will see their stats improve when moving to the friendly dimensions and weather of Arlington, but Corporan saw a big drop off from his production with the Astros. From 2012-2014 in Houston, Corporan put up much stronger numbers, slashing .237/.297/.398 in 485 plate appearances. He also showed that he had some pop in his bat, launching 17 home runs over that period of time.

That is all you can ask for from a backup catcher as they do not get regular reps to keep sharp, but providing some pop off the bench is also a positive. Corporan is also regarded well for his skill behind the plate. While his arm is slightly below average, as he has thrown out 23 percent of base runners in his career, he has been strong framing his pitches. According to Baseball Prospectus and StatCorner.com, Corporan has been average or above-average in his career framing pitchers.

Corporan has a legitimate chance to break camp as the Yankees backup catcher behind Brian McCann, as he will battle it out with top prospect Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine. The Yankees already know what they have in the soft-hitting Romine, while Sanchez has immense power potential and a strong arm, but could probably use some more seasoning in the minor leagues to refine his skills.

More ny sports: New York Yankees Prospects To Watch In 2016

The Yankees have nothing to lose with this deal. If Corporan does not showcase the same level of play he had with the Astros, they have solid veteran insurance in the minor leagues. If he does, and he makes the roster, they will retain his rights through the 2017 as he currently has four years and 19 days of Major League service time according to MLBTradeRumors.com.

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