Around the Empire: Yankees news - 12/27/21

NY Post | Mark W. Sanchez: Masahiro Tanaka is getting another ex-Yankee as his teammate over in Japan. The Rakuten Golden Eagles came to an agreement with former Yankee farmhand Chris Gittens this week. Gittens showed promise in Triple-A as a slugging first baseman, earning the nickname Hard Hittin’ Chris Gittens, but struggled while getting a cup of coffee in the majors.

MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: Speaking of former Yankees going abroad, we’ve got another one. Socrates Brito, another member of the Yankees’ Triple-A team for most of the past season, is heading out to the KBO and signing with the KIA Tigers. Brito has been a journeyman for most of his career, playing in four MLB seasons with the D-Backs and Blue Jays and joining the Pirates on a minor league deal in 2020 before opting out of the season.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: The Yankees’ roster has its fair share of rigidity, but injuries and underperformance always help provide young prospects with an opportunity to showcase their skills in some capacity. Kuty lists off four prospects that ended their year in Triple-A that could break through in 2022 that would be worth keeping an eye on.