The Yankees’ first roster move tied to their latest deal told its own story on Sunday: Luis García Jr. is in the Bronx, Kervin Castro is back in the bullpen, and Max Schuemann is headed to Triple-A.
García Jr. was added to the active roster before Monday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals and will wear No.
- Because the Yankees had an open roster spot after sending reliever Yovanny Cruz to the Nationals in that trade, they didn’t need to make a corresponding move for García Jr.
But with the pitching staff worn down during a 13 games in 13-day stretch, they still needed another arm, so Castro was recalled to help out of the bullpen.
That meant someone had to go, and the Yankees chose Schuemann, the offseason trade pickup. On paper, the move is easy enough to explain.
Schuemann has struggled at the plate as injuries have stacked up around him, hitting .194 with a .694 OPS and 95 OPS+ in 40 games. His work in the outfield also came under scrutiny.
The bigger issue is that the Yankees never really used him where he was strongest.
Schuemann spent most of his time with the Athletics as an infielder. Out of 234 games with Oakland, he played 117 at shortstop, 54 at third base and 48 at second base.
He appeared in the outfield just 23 times. In New York, though, he was thrown into the grass almost immediately.
Of his 40 games with the Yankees, 33 came in left, center or right.
Before Sunday’s game, the Yankees announced the move themselves:
• Added INF Luis García Jr. (#26) to the active roster.
• Recalled RHP Kervin Castro (#74) from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
• Optioned INF/OF Max Schuemann to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The timing only sharpened the criticism of the Yankees’ offseason planning. They went into the winter needing infield insurance, with shortstop and third base both still major problem spots.
Schuemann was supposed to help there, but he has played only three games at shortstop and one at third base. Instead, he was pushed into a role that didn’t fit nearly as cleanly.
Now the Yankees have pivoted to García Jr., who has been far more productive this season than his overall résumé suggests. Since debuting in 2020, he has 5.5 WAR in 708 games, with 2.2 of that coming in 104 games this year. The question hanging over the trade is whether New York is actually getting the player it thinks it is.
There are still a few hours left before the 6 p.m. ET deadline, but the Schuemann move already underscored how the Yankees have handled this stretch - and how much more they still need to fix.
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But the fit is not as simple as just slotting in one more name and moving on. Garcias arrival adds depth, yet it also brings a real juggling act for the Yankees as they try to sort out playing time and keep the lineup balanced without creating unnecessary friction on the bench. The upside is obvious, but the next question is how New York makes all of the pieces work once everyone is actually in the mix. [Read more 🡒]