The New York Yankees are adding a familiar face back to their organization, acquiring utility infielder Tyler Wade from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for a player to be named later, the teams announced Thursday. Wade, who had spent his entire career with the Yankees until they traded him last November, will report to Triple-A.
Wade, 27 years old, appeared in 67 games with the Angels prior to being designated for assignment on July 3. He cleared waivers and the Angels subsequently outrighted him to the minors, meaning he no longer requires a spot on the 40-player roster -- a key consideration for contending teams, like the Yankees, who tend to lack roster spots.
Wade, perhaps predictably given the circumstances, did not perform well during his time with the Angels. He hit .218/.272/.272 (56 OPS+) with one home run and eight steals (albeit on 13 tries). His contributions fell under the replacement-level threshold, per Baseball Reference's calculations. It should be noted that those marks were below his career marks entering the season, as he'd posted a 67 OPS+ in 264 prior games.
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Wade figures to serve as an additional layer of organizational depth in the event that the Yankees suffer an injury to an infielder, or if they elect to trade from their infield depth ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline. Otherwise, there's no reason to believe he's a factor in their plans, or that he's likely to reach the majors between now and the end of the season.
The Yankees entered Thursday with a 62-26 record, giving them the best mark in the majors. New York also has the largest division lead in the majors, holding a 14-game advantage over the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League East.