The New York Yankees have received interest from eight clubs regarding veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman as Opening Day is on the horizon and teams look to finalize their rosters, according to SNY’s Andy Martino.
Tauchman, 30, has been battling it out with Jay Bruce, Derek Dietrich, Tyler Wade and others for one of the bench spots on the Yankees final roster heading into the season. While Tauchman is expected to make the cut, the Yankees could trade him if the right offer comes along.
Per the report, the Yankees would need a reliever with some team control or another piece with legitimate value to consider parting ways with Tauchman.
Bruce’s minor league deal with the club contained an opt-out clause, which now gives the Yankees 48 hours to put Bruce on the roster. If they do not, then Bruce can pursue opportunities with other teams.
It has been rumored that the Yankees are considering keeping both Bruce and Tauchman, which would force Wade to be optioned, as part of their Opening Day roster. But with the value of Dietrich, who has experience at both second and third base, makes that decision tough, as Dietrich could provide more immediate value to the Yankees.
Tauchman had a breakout season with the Yankees in 2019, but struggled to replicate that success in 2020, hitting just .242/.342/.305 in 111 plate appearances.
