The Yankees have outrighted catcher Austin Romine to Triple-A, the club announced. Romine had been designated for assignment after losing the backup catching competition.
The 26-year-old, a former top-100 prospect, has struggled in limited action at the big league level. Last year was his worst as a professional, as he slashed just .242/.300/.365 in 313 plate appearances at Triple-A and receive minimal MLB action.
It is at least something of a surprise to see the out-of-options Romine clear waivers, but it seems that no club was interested in adding him to its active roster or trying to pass him through waivers itself. For New York, he represents a nice insurance policy with some upside.
