New York Yankees: What will Tyler Wade’s role look like in 2021?

New York Yankees, Tyler Wade
Sep 20, 2019; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Tyler Wade (14) flips his bat after hitting a two run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Since his debut in 2017, Tyler Wade has been a household name for the New York Yankees. Although he’s seen his fair share of struggles, he’s managed to find himself on the Yankees roster for at least parts of last four seasons, even seeing action in 52 of 60 games in 2020. What will his role look like in 2021?

Wade’s 2021 role is highly dependent on whether the Yankees re-sign DJ LeMahieu, and whether they acquire someone like Francisco Lindor. If neither of those happen, there’s a chance he could start games unless the team manages to sign someone else.

However, the chances of Wade becoming a starting middle-infielder are slim to none, but that would be the best case scenario for him. The most realistic scenario for him is if the Yankees keep the same starting infield as they did in 2020. That would make him the back-up middle infielder, getting occasional starts. He’d have a similar role if the team acquires Lindor but fails to retain LeMahieu.

In those scenarios, we’d likely see him the most in late game scenarios. Wade is one of the fastest players in all of baseball, making him a valuable option as a pinch-runner. Additionally, we could see Wade as a defensive replacement for Gleyber Torres. Wade’s 0.2 dWar is better than Torres’s at -0.3, as Torres isn’t a natural shortstop unlike Wade.

Wade is also very versatile, as his abilities allow him to play second-base, third-base, and all three outfield positions in addition to shortstop.

If the Yankees re-sign LeMahieu and manage to land Francisco Lindor, his role would likely shrink. Gio Urshela would play third, Lindor would take shortstop, Torres would slide back to second with LeMahieu moving over to first. Lindor and LeMahieu are workhorses, and rarely miss any games. Urshela and Torres do occasionally get injured, but when they are healthy, they don’t need much rest.

With a more well-rounded infield, Wade’s situational appearances along with starts would shrink.

Regardless of how the Yankees organize their infield, Tyler Wade is likely to see some time on the field in 2021. The moves they make will depend on how much he plays, but he should be a roster lock next season.