48 Chris Carter 1B

Carter signed a minor-league contract with the Athletics on Wednesday, Jon Heyman of FanRagSports.com reports.

Carter will report to Triple-A Nashville to begin his career in the organization. He was atrocious with the Yankees this season, as he managed just a .201/.284/.370 line on 62 appearances. He hit 41 home runs for the Brewers in 2016, but he simply hasn't shown enough contact ability to warrant a major-league roster spot this year. If he can get hot for Nashville, though, the A's might be willing to give him a shot.

Carter was released Friday, Chris Cotillo of SBNation.com reports.

Carter had been up-and-down over the past two weeks as the Yankees tried to resolve their first base situation, but it looks like his time in the Bronx is finally done for good. Ji-Man Choi has hit a pair of home runs in his first four games in the majors, and the Yankees appear ready to let it ride on Choi rather than hope that Carter can find enough home runs to make up for his massive strikeout rate. Carter's Yankees career will end with a .201/.284/.370 batting line.

Carter was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Tuesday.

The Yankees have dropped Carter from their 40-man roster for the second time in the last two weeks. Carter was slashing just .203/.283/.374 with eight homers in 61 games for the big club this season, which wasn't good enough to offset his defensive struggles. Ji-Man Choi had his contract purchased from Triple-A in a corresponding move and should serve as the Yankees' starting first baseman until Tyler Austin (hamstring) returns from the DL.

Carter will start at first base and bat seventh Sunday against the Astros, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.

Though Carter was designated for assignment just over a week ago, a rash of injuries thinned the Yankees' depth at first base and resulted in the veteran receiving the call back to the big club Thursday. It looks like he'll serve as the primary option at first base through the All-Star break, as Sunday will mark his third start in a row. Carter is batting .206/.284/.383 on the season and will need to show renewed power before fantasy players outside of deeper formats can keep him in the lineup with confidence.

Carter went 2-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI in Friday's 13-4 win over the Astros.

His exile from the Yankees lasted all of about a week after Tyler Austin (hamstring) and Matt Holliday (illness) hit the DL, leaving the team scrambling for options at first base. Carter was hitting ninth Friday, however, and despite his strong performance in a blowout he still has a weak .209 batting average, .679 OPS and 72 strikeouts in 58 games on the year.