Yankees sign Lee as insurance at first

[WebHamster]

Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - The New York Yankees officially signed first baseman Travis Lee to a one-year contract with a club option for a second year.

The 28-year-old Lee had a career-high .275 batting average last season with 19 home runs and 70 runs batted in for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Lee provides additional insurance at first for New York with Jason Giambi still recovering from off-season knee surgery. The Yankees this winter also signed Tony Clark, who spent last season with the New York Mets, as a possible backup.

Giambi batted a career-low .250 in 2003, and was limited to just 85 games at first base with patella tendinitis and an inflamed tendon in his left knee. He served as the designated hitter for much of the second half and was not in the starting lineup for Game 5 of the World Series, giving way to Nick Johnson,

Johnson was shipped to Montreal with outfielder Juan Rivera in exchange for Javier Vazquez in December, creating a need for more depth at first base.

Lee, considered a strong defensive first baseman, committed just three errors last year, and 18 overall in the past three campaigns.

[DK]

I don't watch very many Yankee games, how's this guy performing at first? I know he's hit a couple of deep ones, but I don't know much else about him.

[Absolutely Adequate]

Well, I'm as shocked as the rest of you about Giambi's brittleness this year after he lost that 3 pounds.

No, wait. Nobody is shocked and it was 25 pounds. Are the Yankees going to pick somebody better up now that it's clear Jason can't play the field? Is Thome available? Helton?

kidding... Sort of.