The Los Angeles Angels claimed infielder Andrew Velazquez off waivers 20 days ago. Then, after the Yankees designated Tyler Wade for assignment last week, LA traded for Wade in exchange for a player to be named later. The Angels are adding speed to their team, that’s for sure. Other than that, the utility players don’t bring a whole lot else to the table.
Let’s start with Tyler Wade, who is coming off his best season in the majors. Wade slashed .268/.354/.323 in 2021 with a 92 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR over 103 games. Those are pretty solid numbers for a player of his caliber and expected role on the team.