With the Yankees dealing with a pile of injuries in their lineup, they look like one of the teams most likely to be active as the MLB trade deadline approaches. The one prospect the club appears most unwilling to part with is shortstop George Lombard Jr., while other young players could be available if the return is right.
One name that surfaced Thursday was Wilberson De Peña, and his absence from Single-A Tampa’s lineup was not tied to anything more dramatic. Francys Romero reported on X that De Peña was out because of a scheduled day off.
"Yankees OF prospect Wilberson De Peña was not in the Single-A lineup today due to a scheduled day off," Romero wrote on X.
De Peña, who came over from the Los Angeles Angels last summer in the Oswald Peraza deal, has been turning heads. He homered on the first Single-A pitch he saw on Wednesday, and his numbers in the Florida Complex League were loud: 16 home runs, 67 RBIs and a .358 batting average. That production earned him the FCL triple crown.
His name is already showing up in trade conversations, too. Romero reported that three to four teams involved in talks with the Yankees have asked about De Peña, who leads the FCL with 16 homers.
"However, according to sources, three to four teams currently engaged in trade discussions with the Yankees have inquired about De Peña, who leads the FCL with 16 HR," Romero added.
For now, De Peña’s day out of the lineup was just that - a day off - but his strong showing has clearly put him on the radar for clubs looking to deal with New York.
In Other News...
Yankees Hit With Another Jazz Chisholm Injury Scare At Worst Time
Jazz Chisholm Jr. was pulled from the Yankees game against the White Sox after an injury scare, adding another uneasy moment to a lineup that has already spent too much time patching holes. Jos Caballero stepped in after Chisholm exited, but the bigger concern is the broader picture around a club that has been forced to navigate injuries to Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
With the trade deadline approaching, the Yankees have little margin for another setback, and Chisholms status could end up shaping how aggressively they have to respond. If the issue lingers, the front office may have to weigh whether to add another infielder or turn to a prospect, a reminder that even one more absence can ripple through a roster already stretched thin. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Got Hit With A Trade Deadline Reality Check
The Yankees recent trip through Chicago served as a blunt reminder that the trade deadline can only fix so much. After taking the first two games and carrying a 4-0 lead into the seventh inning of the finale, New York still found a way to leave with two extra-inning losses, the kind of collapse that turns a routine series into a referendum on how this roster handles pressure.
What stood out most was how familiar the problems looked. The Yankees went 4-for-31 with runners in scoring position over the closeout stretch, and the list of needs feels longer every time they stumble in a tight game. They still need help behind the plate, in the bullpen, at shortstop and possibly in the outfield, but the bigger question is whether any deadline addition can really change the way this team plays when the margin gets thin. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Rumored Infield Target May Already Be Off The Board
The shortstop market may not be moving the way some expected, and that matters for a Yankees club that has at least some internal cover if it decides not to chase a big-name upgrade. ESPNs Buster Olney reported that Washington has put a very high price tag on CJ Abrams, even as the 24-year-old continues to put together a strong offensive season that would make him one of the more intriguing infield names available.
For the Yankees, the fit has always come with a layer of complexity. Abrams can change a lineup with his bat, but his defense remains a real concern, and the Red Sox have been viewed as the club with the more urgent need at shortstop. With New York able to lean on its own options at the position, the question is less about whether Abrams is talented and more about whether the cost and risk ever line up well enough for a deal to happen. [Read more 🡒]