Tyler

Austin

Austin is facing a multi-month absence after undergoing right knee surgery last month. The 34-year-old power-hitting veteran figures to be an option for Chicago again at some point in the second half of the year.

The Cubs signed Austin to a one-year contract back in December, and he was one of the favorites to land a bench spot on the Opening Day roster. It’s unclear what happened, but Cubs manager Craig Counsell simply noted that Austin would be out for months. That could open the door for both Michael Conforto and Chas McCormick to make the Cubs, with Matt Shaw perhaps getting some starts at first base against lefties to begin the season. Of course, Cubs 1B prospect Jonathan Long also hit .305/.404/.479 with 20 home runs in 140 Triple-A games last year and hits right-handed.

The deal is now official. Austin returns stateside following a six-year odyssey overseas in Japan. The 34-year-old slugger batted .269/.350/.484 with 11 homers over 65 games for the Yokohama BayStars this past season. He figures to occupy a bench role with the Cubs, splitting time at first base and DH, mostly against tougher left-handed starters. The over-the-fence pop is real but it’s challenging to envision enough playing time to make an impact outside of NL-only formats.

After six years in japan, Austin apparently will step in as Justin Turner’s replacement in Chicago and start at first against some lefties. The former Yankee and Twin hit .269/.350/.484 with 11 homers in 65 games for the Yokohama BayStars last season. He came in at .239/.377/.568 with 85 homers over 403 career games in the Central League. Passan says he’ll be guaranteed $1.25 million by the Cubs.

Mike Ford, on the other hand, has become a free agent after struggling to establish himself in his first year in Japan. Austin, who came up with the Yankees in 2016, is well established as one of Japan’s best hitters after five seasons with Yokohama. In 2024, he led the Central League in average, just edging out Domingo Santana, and OPS, coming in at .316/.382/.601 in 445 plate appearances.

Austin’s two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning capped off a five-run frame for Team USA, which will now advance to a gold medal matchup against an undefeated Japan squad on Saturday at 6 a.m. ET. At the very least, the Americans will come home with a silver. All events from the Tokyo Olympics can be streamed LIVE on NBCOlympics.com and on the NBC Sports App.

The 28-year-old appeared in 87 big leagues games in 2019 between the Brewers, Giants and Twins, slashing .188/.296/.409 with nine homers and 24 RBI. He’ll try to re-establish his stock before a possible return stateside. He’s likely to replace Yoshitomo Tsutsugo on the BayStars, as he’s drawing strong interest from MLB clubs this offseason.

Austin refused an outright assignment by the Brewers and will test out the market instead. He’s reportedly drawn interest from the Hanshin Tigers in Japan.

Bour is arbitration-eligible for a final time with the Angels and Austin is arbitration-eligible for the first time with the Brewers, but they are both likely non-tender candidates. Going overseas might be their best opportunity both from a monetary and playing time perspective.

With two outs, two runners on and the score knotted at 3-3 in the fourth inning, Brewers manager Craig Counsell got aggressive and pinch-hit for starter Adrian Houser with Austin. The move looked brilliant after Austin demolished a Jon Lester fastball over the Brewers bullpen in left field, giving them a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The hit was just Austin’s second since the club promoted him at the start of this month, and the well-traveled 28-year-old is hitting just .196/.306/.428 across stints with three different organizations this year.