The Yankees already took one step toward fixing their offense by landing Luis García Jr. in a deal with the Nationals, but that move also sharpened the bigger picture: shortstop still looks like a problem, and Boston may have just shown New York the kind of package that could solve it.
Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero have made shortstop a real weak spot, and the market for upgrades is murky. Still, one name stands above the rest: Elly De La Cruz.
The Reds are not shopping him, the way the Angels have treated Zach Neto or the Nationals have treated CJ Abrams, but they would listen if the offer was big enough. And that means young, controllable major league talent.
Boston reportedly got nowhere because it was working with a prospect-heavy proposal. New York, on the other hand, has a different kind of ammo.
De La Cruz is the best fit of the available elite shortstop options. He’s a switch hitter, and while Abrams has better numbers this season with a 150 wRC+ to De La Cruz’s 129, De La Cruz has been the stronger hitter over his career, with a 111 wRC+ compared to Abrams’ 107. Neto has lived in the 109 to 116 range for his career but has slipped this year, and his strikeout rate is up to 31.6%.
The rest of De La Cruz’s profile only raises the price. Even with a hamstring injury limiting him this season, he has 20 steals and posted a career-high 67 in 2024.
On defense, he’s been worth seven outs above average this year, while Neto sits at -8 and Abrams at -14. De La Cruz and Neto are free agents after the 2029 season, and Abrams has one less year of team control, which only strengthens the case for De La Cruz as the prize worth paying for.
For Cincinnati, the ask would have to start with controllable big-league pieces. The Reds need outfield help and starting pitching, and their farm system is strongest in the middle infield. With Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder having graduated, the pitching pipeline is thinning, and the possibility of moving Hunter Greene only makes that need more pressing.
Burns and rookie infielder Sal Stewart are the Reds’ core timeline pieces, so a deal built around players who fit that window makes sense. That’s where the Yankees can come in with Spencer Jones, Jasson Dominguez, and Will Warren. Warren stands out because he’s under team control through 2030, while Jones or Dominguez could be the extra upside piece thanks to their remaining control and potential.
George Lombard Jr. may be the swing factor. It would hurt for New York to include him, but if it brings De La Cruz to the Bronx, that’s the kind of cost the Yankees may have to live with. Lombard Jr. is still listed as a prospect, but he’s close to MLB-ready and would line up well with Stewart and Burns on Cincinnati’s timeline.
The Yankees might still need to add two more prospects to get the Reds to bite, but the structure is there. Boston’s failed push may have left the path exposed, and New York has the pieces to follow it.
In Other News...
Yankees Just Sent A Clear Message With George Lombard Jr
The Yankees wasted little time reshaping the roster after the trade deadline, and the biggest signal came at shortstop. Anthony Volpe, Jasson Dominguez and Angel Chivilli were all optioned to Triple-A, while top prospect George Lombard Jr. was promoted and handed the everyday job at shortstop, a move that underscored how aggressively the club is willing to lean into its younger pieces right now.
Jose Caballero had been sharing the position, but manager Aaron Boone let him know the plan had changed and Caballero made it clear he is prepared to fit wherever he is needed. Lombards first big-league game offered an encouraging start, with the rookie helping on both sides of the ball in a win over the Cardinals, and the next step will be just as important as the debut if the Yankees want this infield reset to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Jones Is Putting Yankees In A Tough Lineup Decision
Spencer Jones has given the Yankees plenty to think about since getting his chance in the big leagues, but not all of it has been easy. The rookie outfielder arrived with the kind of minor league power that can force a team to keep looking his way, and injuries elsewhere opened a lane for him to stay in the lineup while other players were moved out of the way.
The problem is that the major league version of the opportunity has not yet matched the promise. Jones has been pressing for consistency while the Yankees keep him on the roster and wait for a clearer picture in the outfield mix, and his place could become even harder to protect once the injured regulars start filtering back into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Seven Former Yankees Just Reopened A Debate Fans Know Too Well
The Yankees made their own deadline moves, adding Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos, but the ripple effect around the roster was impossible to miss. A cluster of former Yankees also changed teams, with familiar names like Josh Smith, Jameson Taillon, Carlos Narvaez, Luke Weaver, Ben Rortvedt, Clay Holmes and Caleb Ferguson landing with clubs in the playoff hunt, including the Blue Jays, Orioles, Pirates, Dodgers, Cubs and Cardinals.
For Yankees fans, the part that stings is how many of those moves landed in places that matter right away, whether inside the division or across the postseason picture. It is the kind of deadline aftermath that tends to reopen an old debate in the Bronx about roster churn, missed fits and just how often former Yankees end up helping someone else in October. [Read more 🡒]