The Yankees have optioned right-hander Cory Wade to Triple-A to make room on the roster for the recently acquired Chad Qualls. Qualls will be in uniform tonight and was given the number of another noted Yankees sinker baller, #40.
Wade, 29, has been awful for about six weeks now, pitching to a 9.68 ERA (6.45 FIP) in his last 20 appearances (17.2 innings). He jumped on the bullpen grenade the other night by throwing a career-high 58 pitches in a blowout loss, though he allowed six runs in the process. I thought maybe the Yankees would send Wade to High-A Tampa to keep him away from the traveling Triple-A circus, but at least now he’ll have a chance to right the ship in games that don’t count.