Allen didn’t appear in the big leagues last year after getting into 22 contests for the Yankees back in 2023. The 31-year-old speedster fortifies Chicago’s outfield depth back at Triple-A Iowa. He doesn’t offer much at the plate anymore, but he offers plenty of experience having appeared in 304 contests at the highest level since 2017, and could wind up being a useful break glass in case of emergency stopgap.

This will be Allen’s third stint with the Yankees, as he got into 15 games with the team in 2021 and 22 last season before he was let go. He’s actually hit a fine .250/.387/.450 in his 76 plate appearances for the Bombers, giving him an .837 OPS that is about 250 points higher than he’s amassed in his 752 plate appearances with other teams. There’s the chance he could make the team as a fifth outfielder, but it doesn’t seem particularly likely.

Allen signed a minor league contract with the Brewers back in late August, but never wound up reaching the majors in Milwaukee.

Allen was designated for assignment by the Yankees earlier this month and passes through waivers, so he elected to become a free agent. The 30-year-old’s primary asset remains his speed, and he did have three steals in 22 games for the Yankees this year. He will most likely report to Triple-A Nashville but could be used as a pinch runner in Milwaukee down the stretch.