The New York Yankees have seized the top spot in the American League East division as they battle the Boston Red Sox for the first time this season.
But as the team prepares to reinforce its roster with some key players returning to full health, a roster cut is looming in the near future.
“(Anthony) Volpe, who played last week with Double-A Somerset and will play this week with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, could be ready by this weekend, creating a roster dilemma,” March W. Sanchez wrote for the New York Post.
The team could be looking to cut or demote Randal Grichuk, JC Escarra or Jose Caballero to make room for Volpe in the near future. And in the meantime, it received news that one of its long-time utility players is now a free agent as well.
New York Yankees’ Long-Time Utility Player Released From New Team
“The Texas Rangers are releasing veteran infielder Tyler Wade from his minor league contract to allow him to explore other opportunities,” Evan Grant reported for The Dallas Morning News. “Wade, 31, had been at Triple-A Round Rock, where he was slashing just .226/.315/.242/.557 in 73 plate appearances over 16 games. He had started at five different positions during his time at Round Rock but had managed only one extra-base hit and had been caught stealing three times in seven attempts.”
Some Yankees fans will remember Wade as a member of the Bronx Bombers from 2017 through 2021, when he appeared in more than 250 games for the Yankees while playing a number of defensive positions.
Wade slashed .212/.298/.307 in his five seasons with the Yankees before moving onto the Los Angeles Angels, then the Athletics, then the San Diego Padres.
Former New York Yankees Veteran Tyler Wade Seeks New Team After Release
He has been a versatile option in his nine-year career, but Wade has continued to struggle at the plate following his Yankees tenure.
“Wade has drawn solid marks for his big league glovework at second base and third base but has garnered shakier ratings at shortstop and across the outfield,” Steve Adams wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “He’s an above-average runner but doesn’t get on base frequently enough to make great use of that speed. In parts of seven Triple-A seasons, Wade is a .279/.359/.399 hitter.”
The former Yankees utility option seems confident that he could seize another big-league opportunity elsewhere after asking for his release from the Rangers. In the meantime, his old team seems to have plenty of light-hitting bench options already on the roster, with Volpe coming back to push one out of the big-league group soon
