Yanks’ Wade tunes out roster drama
TAMPA — Tyler Wade isn’t letting the fact he’s in a battle for a final roster spot get to him. The Yankees utility man could be a temporary victim of the roster shuffle trying to find a way to add lefty slugger Jay Bruce and not lose Mike Tauchman. The light-hitting Wade has options left and could start the season in the minor leagues to give the Yankees more time to work through it.
But Wade — who had a solid day on Tuesday going 2-for-2 against the Tigers — isn’t trying to press the issue. He knows his assets are his defense and speed. He also knows he has to hit a little bit to keep his name in the rotation.
“You’ve got to hit wherever you go, it’s not the Yankees,” Wade said Wednesday morning before the Yankees game against the Blue Jays. “I think the biggest part for me is knowing who Tyler Wade is and what he does really well and being able to hone in on those skills. So pressure? Not really. I don’t feel it. It’s just more of like ‘Hey you got to do your job.’
“I know my work was trying to get my timing right. Everyone’s come out throwing 100, so I just trust my work, I work hard,” he continued. “I know my work has been good, and I know that translates in the game. It’s just a matter of fact, get your timing right, and swinging at good pitches. So that’s the biggest part for me if you’re swinging at good pitches, and your timings on, and you have a good time and you’re gonna put yourself in a good position for success.”
Wade is the Yankees’ option as a back-up shortstop. While Gio Urshela can play there “in a pinch,” Wade would be the one to step in if anything happened to Gleyber Torres. His minor league options would give the Yankees time to possibly work out a trade for Mike tauchman if they decide to keep Jay Bruce.
Wade’s speed and ability to play both infield and outfield making him a useful bench player despite the fact he has not been able to hit in the majors in parts of four seasons. In 346 career big-league plate appearances, Wade has hit .190/.274/.301 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases.
At 26 years old, Wade is entering the prime of his career and has accepted that his role will be as a utility player. In fact, now he embraces it.
“I think the stigma of being a utility player is not so much negative anymore, it’s more of a role player and he’s got an important part on each club,” Wade said. “So yeah, to answer your question, I think it’s important. I think defense wins championships. It’s kind of a cliche saying, but at the end of the day when it’s a one-run game you need defense.”
Wade is not a defensive whiz, nor is he a concern in the field. He is a 0 defensive runs saved at shortstop and a 9 at second base. He has learned to embrace the fact his glove may be what gives him more time in the big leagues.
“I’m an athletic guy so I like to use my athletic ability to my advantage. And I wasn’t really a good defender in the minor leagues. I went through some learning curves and some failures,” Wade said. “I think the biggest thing I heard from, I think (bench coach Carlos Mendoza) told me this: you have to have trust from your pitching staff and all these people and I didn’t want to be the guy that was kind of shaky. So I put in work and I love it. I take pride in that and I think it’s important to have good (defense.).”