Not Fun News: Yankees Traded Mike Tauchman to the Giants
In a few series previews and recaps this season, I have mentioned the lifelessness, sleepwalking, and lack of energy brought by the Yankees this season: none of that applied to Mike Tauchman. Not just this season — but since 2019 — The Sock Man has played with intensity and fire.
Unfortunately, Tauchman’s magical 2019 season ended with a pulled calf that left him sidelined for the Postseason. That regular season still brought us tons of great moments from our lovable outfielder. He was acquired 5 days before Opening Day. Many Yankees fans were confused when they saw the trade. The Rockies sent Tauchman over in exchange for pitcher Phillip Diehl, a name not many fans were familiar with. The Yankees were thin in the outfield due to injuries and Tyler Wade was trying to learn centerfield in spring training. The club decided to go get some help from outside the organization. It helped that Tauchman batted lefty, too, since the lineup is so right-handed.
Anyways, on April 16, 2019, Tauchman gave Yankees fans a reason to know his name. The defending champion Boston Red Sox strolled into town with their ace Chris Sale on the mound. In the fourth inning of the game, Tauchman delivered an RBI double. Two innings later, he ripped a 3-run homer (his first as a Yankee) off of Erasmo Ramirez to blow the game open.
He did not quite turn that game into a hot streak, as he entered the month of July with a .208 AVG and .300 OBP. But as the months got warmer, so did Mike. In July, he recorded at least 1 hit or RBI (or both) in 14 of the 16 games he appeared in. His season numbers jumped to a .278 AVG and .356 OBP at the time July ended.
One series in Baltimore convinced everybody that Tauchman was for real. On August 5, he had 3 hits, including 2 homers against the Orioles. The very next day, Tauchman homered again and then took one away from the Orioles before tacking on a double of his own (video below). The home run robbery was especially awesome. Tauchman jumped so high and knew he made the grab, so when he landed on the warning track, all he did was open his glove to show the umpire the ball.
Tauchman ended the 2019 season with 13 home runs and an .865 OPS. His final at bat of the season was a home run off of Rick Porcello at Fenway Park.
The COVID-shortened 2020 season was more forgettable for Tauchman. In 43 games, he hit .242, but drew enough walks to have a .342 OBP. However, the main focus was on his lack of power. He did not hit a home run all season, which he later explained may have had to do with a nagging shoulder injury.
This season, Tauchman provided the Yankees with a spark on two instances. On Opening Day, Tauchman entered the game as a pinch runner in the 9th inning. He proceeded to steal second base and third base, and the team was fired up. Six days later, Tauchman pinch ran again, this time against the Orioles. When Gio Urshela hit a line drive into the left-center gap, Tauchman wheeled all the way from first to beat the throw home. Not many Yankees can go first-to-home very well, so the moment gave life to the crowd.
Ultimately, Tauchman is out of minor-league options and will be due an arbitration-salary amount starting next season. The Yankees opted to get something in return for Tauchman rather than just non-tender him in the offseason. This choice resulted in a trade sending Tauchman to the Giants.
In return, the Yankees acquired left-handed reliever Wandy Peralta along with a player to be named later from the Giants. Peralta is not a prospect, he will be 30 in July. Peralta has one minor-league option remaining, so the Yankees can be flexible in terms of shuttling him up and down this season.
Peralta’s traditional stat line does not look very appetizing this season, but his peripherals far exceed expectations. In 10 games (8.1 innings), he owns a 5.40 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and has recorded 2 saves. However, he ranks in the 86th percentile for whiff rate, 94th percentile for chase rate, 90th percentile for hard hit percentage, and 92nd percentile for average exit velocity against. Somehow, his K-rate is still only in the 35th percentile. (All percentiles via Baseball Savant and StatCast).
Maybe the Yankees noticed something with Peralta that they believe can translate from the StatCast numbers to the traditional, more results-based stats. Peralta has used a 4-pitch repertoire his entire career: a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, and sinker. He typically does not throw the changeup to left-handed hitters, but uses the slider at a very high rate against them. He has virtually ditched the sinker, ever since 2019 when hitters had a .378 average against the pitch. Here is what each pitch looks like this season:
Slider (89 mph): 54 pitches (28 vs. RHB, 26 vs. LHB), .533 BAA, 0 HR, 41.9% whiff
Four-seam fastball (96 mph): 51 pitches (30 vs. RHB, 21 vs. LHB), .125 BAA, 1 HR, 28.6% whiff
Changeup (89 mph): 32 pitches (31 vs. RHB, 1 vs. LHB), .200 BAA, 0 HR, 29.4 % whiff
Sinker (96 mph): 2 pitches (0 vs. RHB, 2 vs. LHB), no outcomes
Peralta will need to use the changeup more against right-handed batters this season. In 2020, he had much more success when using the changeup as the primary pitch to right-handed hitters with the slider as the secondary pitch. Against lefties, he has to use the slider-fastball combination since the changeup is much too hittable to same-handed hitters.
What This Trade Means
There is one Yankee I immediately thought of when this move popped up in my notifications… Clint Frazier. There is one less outfielder in the musical chairs game now. In the series against Cleveland last weekend, Tauchman pinch-ran for Frazier three times and then served as a defensive replacement. Clint is going to be entrusted with some more late innings in left field and he has to make the most of it.
As for Tauchman, I wish nothing but success for him in San Francisco. He brought the best energy that made Yankees baseball fun to watch. Thank you, Mike Tauchman.
P.S.: We also traded away the coolest dog on the team. What a good boy.
Photos Via: Instagram: @Mike_Tauchman