Yankees Acquire Tauchman From Rockies For Lefty Diehl

Image credit: Mike Tauchman (Photo by Bill Mitchell)

The Yankees and Rockies made a small trade to close spring training, sending lefthanded reliever Phillip Diehl to Colorado for outfielder Mike Tauchman. Diehl made his upper-level debut in 2017, while Tauchman made the Yankees’ Opening Day roster as a backup outfielder.

ROCKIES ACQUIRE:

Phillip Diehl, LHP
Age: 24

The Yankees’ 27th-round selection in 2016 out of Louisiana Tech, Diehl started opening eyes last summer when he dominated with Double-A Trenton. The Yankees brought him to the Bronx late in the season to throw batting practice and throw in front of their major league coaching staff, then made him a non-roster invitee to big league spring training. He used a 90-93 mph fastball and an average slider in the low 80s to rack up 17 strikeouts in 10 Grapefruit League innings.

YANKEES ACQUIRE:

Mike Tauchman, OF
Age: 28

Tauchaman has gotten two cups of coffee in the big leagues, but he was lost in an outfield shuffle that included Charlie Blackmon and David Dahl. Tauchman brings an intriguing blend of power (though half of his 44 career minor league home runs have come at hitter-friendly Albuquerque) and contact ability, having struck out just 387 times in 2,568 minor league plate appearances. That’s good for a whiff rate of roughly 15 percent. He’s got plenty of experience at all three outfield positions, which will make him useful caddy for any of the Yankees’ three regular outfielders.