The Yankees have to make a decision on Jay Bruce Thursday, and while they mull over whether to put the veteran on the big-league roster and pay him $1.5 million, they could have another decision to make with a competitor for Bruce’s spot.
Mike Tauchman, hoping to win out a spot as a backup outfielder, has reportedly received trade interest from other teams, per SNY’s Andy Martino. While the Yanks have talked highly of Bruce since signing him over the offseason, he has struggled recently after a fast spring training start, while Tauchman has shown recent flashes of his 2019 self, hitting a home run and walking twice as part of a two-hit day earlier this week.
The Yankees are reportedly valuing Tauchman at his 2019 levels, per Martino, when he posted an .865 OPS in a breakout year as part of New York’s “Next Man Up” brigade. But Tauchman struggled last season, his OPS dropping to .648. But the Yanks are ready to chalk that up to Tauchman’s injured shoulder, and are believed to require a team-controlled reliever or another valuable piece in a potential deal.
Of course, the Yankees’ desire to trade Tauchman could be low if they envision him as an outfield depth piece this season, especially with the recent injury histories of Aaron Hicks and Aaron Judge. But the Yanks do have a lefty outfield bat in Brett Gardner, and the Yankees could see Bruce or fellow veteran Derek Dietrich as more valuable because of their defensive versatility.
But according to NJ.com's Brendan Kuty, the Yankees are expected to let Bruce go on Thursday and keep Tauchman, though they have been fielding calls on the 30-year-old and have kept their options open, but it appears the Yanks will go with Tauchman.
If Bruce opts out of his deal Thursday, the Yankees will have 48 hours to put him on the roster.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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