The Yankees may not find much help in free agency this winter, which is why any real infield shakeup is more likely to come via trade. And if New York goes that route, one name that fits the bill is Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Lopez is one player who could be available this offseason. Miami already entertained interest in him at the summer trade deadline before deciding to hold onto him.
Lopez checks a lot of boxes for a team looking to tighten up the dirt behind its pitchers. Shortstop is his best position, and the defensive numbers back that up. This season, he logged 14 Outs Above Average at short and added six defensive runs saved, making him one of the better gloves in the game at the position.
That kind of fit would give the Yankees flexibility elsewhere. George Lombard Jr. could move to second or third base, and New York could reshuffle the infield around Lopez. In fact, Lopez’s defense is strong enough that the Yankees might even adjust their plans for Lombard if they brought him in.
The appeal isn’t just on the defensive side, either. Lopez would give the Yankees a real boost at the plate. Last season, he hit .305/.349/.437 with a 115 wRC+, while also launching 11 home runs and swiping 34 bags.
He also brings a contact-heavy approach that would play well near the top of a lineup. Lopez posted a 13% strikeout rate, which ranked in the 93rd percentile, and an 80th-percentile 19.5% whiff rate. The drawback is a modest 5.8% walk rate.
As a package, it’s the kind of move that would qualify as a bit unconventional, especially with the current expectation that Lombard Jr. ends up at shortstop. But the Yankees would be getting a premium defender and a useful bat in the same deal, and both players could coexist in the same infield.
That matters even more when you consider the type of pitching New York could be supporting. For someone like Max Fried or Ryan Weathers, both of whom have 49% groundball rates, having Lopez and Lombard behind them would make life a lot easier.
Of course, a trade like this would come at a steep cost. Lopez is still in arbitration and has years of control left, so if the Yankees make a serious push, the deal would likely start with Dax Kilby. He remains the top prize in the farm system, and the question is whether Brian Cashman and the front office view Lopez as enough of an upgrade to part with him.
Other possible pieces could include Elmer Rodriguez, who saw his velocity tick up late in the year, or Carlos Lagrange, whose season was limited by injuries even though he can reach triple digits. Hunter Dietz is another name that could be included after the Yankees took him in the first round of the 2026 draft.
With the lockout looming and the free-agent market looking thin, New York may have to lean on its prospect capital if it wants to improve the roster. If it doesn’t, the alternative is running back a largely familiar infield - and after back-to-back ALDS exits against AL East rivals, that’s not a comfortable place to be.
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