Yankees: 3 free agent standouts NYY clearly missed out on

2. Freddy Galvis

It’s not that we have a vendetta against Tyler Wade. We just want him off the roster, due to badness.

In this instance, we broke our credo a bit. Freddy Galvis, who was signed by the Orioles for just $1.5 million (and will surely be traded by July), is hardly a career backup, having played 162 games in both 2017 and 2018. In our scenario, he’d very much be New York’s backup shortstop, though, directly pressing Torres — though he also plays some second and the outfield.

A slick-fielding semi-power bat, Galvis brings everything Wade theoretically does, both tangibly and intangibly. Better bat, excellent glove, more power, solid speed. Can he book it like Wade? Well, not quite. But is he on base more often? Uh, yeah.

The exceedingly pesky Galvis also popped 23 homers in his last full season in 2019, split between Toronto and Cincinnati, and each trade opportunity since then, he’s seemed like a prime candidate for the Yankees to acquire. So why’d they pass on him at the expensive price of half a Justin Wilson this offseason?

As things stood, Wade skated onto the roster because he was pressed by an out-of-position shortstop and a DH-type who rocked a 50-pound chain to BP everyday. It would’ve been nice to try the excessively cheap Galvis on for size.