Yankees: 3 players on hot seat in spring training so far

1. Tyler Wade

Over the past…week (?), Tyler Wade has gone from “shoo-in bench component” to “shoo-in bench component, but do we have to?” to “genuine question mark,” and for that he can thank both Derek Dietrich and Jay Bruce.

Bruce has continued to mash and declare himself ready for a roster spot, using both his bat and his sharp tongue. Dietrich’s presence in the lineup has been obvious each time he’s been given an opportunity, and he’s started everywhere from left field to third base. Bruce? He’s gotten run in the outfield and at first.

The Yankees are testing out the versatility of both players every chance they get. But what if they’re not competing with each other for one roster spot? What if they’re both coming hot after Wade?

Wade’s gotten grandfathered into this roster because we’ve learned to accept his subpar bat in the name of versatility; after all, who else would possibly play backup shortstop without Wade?

It’s time to snap out of the collective trance, though. In this day and age, wasting a roster spot on a non-hitter just so he can give 24-year-old Gleyber Torres 10 days of rest per season is a clear mistake when that spot could go to sluggers like Dietrich or Bruce. If Gio Urshela can fill in at short on occasion while Dietrich takes third, all the better.

Sorry, Tyler. The bat just isn’t there. It’s never there.

Yankees: 4 trade options to replace consistently injured players

While the Yankees have brought in new conditioning staff, there is still a good chance that stints on the IL will likely continue for oft-injured players.