Throughout the spring, Mike Tauchman has been fighting for a role with the New York Yankees. After struggling in 2020, Tauchman is currently battling against players like Jay Bruce and Derek Dietrich to obtain a spot on the team. However, some of the team’s latest roster moves may have signaled that the end could be near for Tauchman in the Bronx.
The Yankee Bench
It’s well-established that Tauchman is fighting for a spot on the Yankees’ bench. But, what does that bench currently look like?
Well, there’s four spots in total. Typically, an AL team would only have 3 bench spots, but with rosters increasing from 25 to 26 players last season, teams will have room to carry one extra man.
As it currently stands, there are three players that are locks for the Yankee bench. Brett Gardner’s role as the 4th outfielder is assured, as is Kyle Higashioka’s backup catching job. Tyler Wade’s role with the team appears to be secure, as well. While it is no secret that Wade struggles mightily at the plate, his biggest advantage is his position. As a middle infielder, Wade will be the team’s backup shortstop in 2021.
Yes, Gio Urshela recently started at shortstop in a Spring Training game. However, manager Aaron Boone stated that Urshela would only play short if the Yankees find themselves “in a pinch“.
The starting third baseman is not going to work as the primary backup shortstop. So, especially with Thairo Estrada being sent down, it seems that Wade’s role is secure. The Yankee Twitterverse may not like it, but that isn’t going to change anything.
The Implication of Mike Ford
As part of the previously-mentioned roster moves, first baseman Mike Ford was also sent down. This move could have ramifications for several players besides just Ford, however.
As I mentioned earlier, Tauchman is competing with Jay Bruce and Derek Dietrich for a roster spot. Both Bruce and Dietrich have one perk to offer the team that Tauchman cannot: the ability to play first base.
If Tauchman were to make the team over the other two players, the Yankees would be looking at a bench that does not contain a backup option at first. Yes, D.J. LeMahieu can play the position. But, just like the Urshela situation, the team is not likely to go into the year with a starter as their primary backup option at first.
In 2020, LeMahieu started just one game at first. Mike Ford started at the position 12 times last season. If the 60-game campaign is any indication, the Yankees clearly prefer to have a full-time backup on the team.
Another factor is the idea that LeMahieu is likely going to be the secondary option at third already. Again, that isn’t necessarily ideal. However, it’s definitely something the team can cope with. But having LeMahieu be the primary backup option at two infield positions, in addition to being an everyday starter, is a no-go.
The Yankees are already carrying five outfielders, as well. Adding a sixth OF, especially one who can’t play anywhere else, ultimately doesn’t make a ton of sense. Not only does it take away from infield depth, but there simply wouldn’t be much room for Tauchman to see the field in general.
All of these factors make it apparent that Bruce and Dietrich have an inside track to the roster ahead of Tauchman.
Sure, Tauchman has mentioned that he played first in college. But he also said that the Yankees have never even approached him about trying out the position again. This tells us that a potential scenario involving Tauchman as the backup 1B is not even somewhat in the cards. It actually seems as if Tauchman offered this up solely because he could feel himself being squeezed off the roster.
Mike Tauchman: A Tale of Two Years
If Tauchman had hit the ball well in 2020, this might not even be an issue to begin with. Every Yankee fan can tell you how good the left-handed outfielder was in the 2019 season. But the wheels fell off for him the following year.
In 2019, Tauchman posted a 127 OPS+, a 128 wRC+, and hit 13 homers in 87 games. In 2020, he looked like an entirely different hitter. The OPS+ dropped to 83, the wRC+ decreased to 78, and he failed to hit even a single home run in 43 games. OPS+ and wRC+ are league-adjusted, with an average of 100, so Tauchman was about 20% worse than a league-average hitter if you combine both metrics. Not ideal.
His defense declined, as well. The underlying numbers for Tauchman’s fielding in 2019 were terrific, with 19 defensive runs saved. That mark was amongst the leaders in all of baseball, despite the fact that he played barely over half the season. However, in 2020, Tauchman posted a giant goose egg in that category, with zero defensive runs saved (defensive stats per Fangraphs).
If Tauchman had continued to build on that 2019 season, there’s a chance that he might have entered this spring as the team’s 4th outfielder. But, he didn’t. The Yankees then brought back veteran Brett Gardner, who will fill in around the outfield during the season.
The Battle of Spring: Tauchman vs Bruce
Tauchman entered this spring knowing that he needed to fight for a role. Entering Saturday, he has actually hit the ball fairly well (.797 OPS, 2 home runs in eight games). Unfortunately for him, however, Jay Bruce has hit even better.
In 10 games, Bruce has hit a pair of home runs, and posted an .885 OPS. He’s posted a better slashline than Tauchman across the board, as well.
Naturally, Spring Training stats aren’t the end-all-be-all, or even close to it. But one has to think that they will factor in somewhat, especially considering this is the first time the Yankee brass has had an extended look at Bruce.
One thing that is important to note is the fact that Bruce can opt out of his deal on March 25 (five days from today). Realistically, the only scenario that Bruce wouldn’t opt out would be the scenario that has him on the bench come Opening Day. So, we should have a good idea of that within the next week.
Mike Tauchman: A Lack of Options
In addition to not having a ton of options when it comes to placing Mike Tauchman around the field (compared to Bruce and Dietrich), the Yankees also have significantly less options in terms of where Tauchman would go if he doesn’t make the team.
Tauchman has zero minor league options remaining. This means he would have to be passed through waivers to be sent down to the minors. Even with his dreadful 2020, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where at least one of the other 29 teams isn’t willing to take a flier on him.
The most likely outcome, at this point, seems to be designating him for assignment. DFAing Tauchman would buy the Yankees some time, giving them 7 days to attempt to work out a trade for the outfielder.
In the winter, Yankees GM Brian Cashman stated that he had been receiving numerous calls for Tauchman. If this was true, then finding a trade partner within that week-long frame shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
Potential Partners for a Tauchman Trade
Let’s be real for a second. Mike Tauchman is currently 30 years old. He has played just 182 major league games. Within that 182-game sample size, he’s slashed .251/.343/.415, with an OPS+ of 101. Tauchman has basically been exactly a league-average hitter to this point in his career. Looking year-to-year, he has really only stood out in one season: the 2019 campaign that we’ve discussed extensively here.
With all of this in mind, should the Yankees or their fans expect a big, notable return in a Tauchman trade? Absolutely not. But that doesn’t mean that several teams wouldn’t jump on the chance to acquire a player like him.
Despite the numbers from last year, Tauchman is still a plus defender. Many teams would see him as a relatively solid depth piece.
So, which teams might be interested in one gently-used Mike Tauchman?
Miami Marlins: The last time a trade for an outfielder involving the Marlins and Yankees occurred, it was a bit more high-profile. The Yankees acquired reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton from Miami prior to the 2018 season, but Derek Jeter might be willing to deal with his former team once again. Tauchman could see somewhat regular playing time in Miami, likely as the 4th outfielder behind Starling Marte, Corey Dickerson, and Adam Duvall.
Arizona Diamondbacks: With Kole Calhoun out for the forseeable future, Arizona currently has somewhat of a vacancy in right field. Players like Tim Locastro, Trayce Thompson, and Daulton Varsho have been seeing time there this spring. However, Mike Tauchman could definitely compete for that role as well. Out of all potential landing spots for Tauchman, Arizona could possibly be the place that would be able to give him the most playing time.
St. Louis Cardinals: Compared to the other two teams, St. Louis is undoubtedly in a much better position to compete, especially in the wide-open NL Central. The Cardinals’ three projected starting outfielders this year (Harrison Bader, Tyler O’Neill, Dylan Carlson) are all very young. O’Neill has played in only 171 career games, and Carlson was a rookie last season. Tauchman could theoretically play a valuable role as the 4th outfielder in St. Louis.
End of the Line?
Each day, we get closer and closer to the start of the regular season. We may also be getting closer and closer to the end of Mike Tauchman’s tenure with the Yankees.
