The Yankees have a roster puzzle on their hands, and Luis García Jr. might be one of the pieces that gets moved around again.
After arriving from the Nationals at the trade deadline, García settled in as New York’s regular first baseman, with Ben Rice mostly sliding into the designated hitter role. But Aaron Boone floated a different possibility this week: García back at second base.
“Obviously an infielder in his past,” Boone said, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. “And feel like that could even be in play, you know, moving forward in coming years.”
That idea is not coming out of nowhere. García began his career as a middle infielder with Washington and became the Nationals’ everyday second baseman, making at least 112 starts there in each season from 2023 through 2025.
The results were rough on the defensive side. Over more than 4,000 innings at the position, he was charged with minus-29 Defensive Runs Saved, minus-18 Outs Above Average and minus-15 Fielding Run Value.
At first base this year, though, García looked much more comfortable. The Nationals shifted him over, and the move paid off in the field and at the plate.
He has 2 DRS, 3 OAA and 2 FRV at first so far, and his offense took a big step forward too. García hit 30 home runs, nearly doubling his previous best of 18, while posting a .277/.309/.521 line with a 124 wRC+.
Before that, he had only once finished a season above a 95 wRC+, and that came in 2024, when he reached 108.
The Yankees can keep him for one more year through arbitration, and that makes a return feel like a real possibility. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects García for an $11MM salary next season.
The catch is fit. If García and Rice are both in the lineup every day at first base and DH, there’s not much room left to maneuver, and that leaves Giancarlo Stanton without a natural spot.
Stanton’s absence from the mix hasn’t been a problem so far because he was on the injured list when García was acquired. He came off the IL in time for the Wild Card series, but the Yankees are only planning to use him as a pinch-hitter in the current postseason because he hasn’t played enough lately.
Stanton is under contract through next year, and even with the injury history that has followed him around, he still brings real production when healthy. This is his fifth straight season with fewer than 115 games played, but from 2022-2026 he has put up a .225/.301/.475 line with a 114 wRC+.
Second base may be the bigger question anyway. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been the Yankees’ regular there, but he’s headed for free agency.
He offers a lot of impact with the bat and on the bases - homers, walks and steals - while also striking out plenty. On defense, the athleticism is there, but the mistakes have piled up.
Since the start of 2021, Chisholm has committed 39 errors at second base, tied for fourth-most in the majors at the position over that span, though that total also reflects the fact that he has played other spots too.
The advanced numbers still like him more than the error total suggests. He has 28 OAA at second in his career, including 13 in 2026, and DRS has mostly graded him positively, even if it had him at minus-6 this year.
If the Yankees let Chisholm walk, they could leave second base open and test García there. Chisholm is a candidate for a qualifying offer, though the Yankees may be reluctant to make one if there’s a chance he accepts, the way Trent Grisham did a year ago. If Chisholm departs, New York could turn to García and keep José Caballero and Anthony Volpe as fallback options, assuming George Lombard Jr. gets a chance to lock down shortstop next year.
Third base adds another layer. Ryan McMahon is signed through 2027, but he’s coming off the worst season of his career.
His strikeout issues have always been part of the package, but this year the walks and power both dipped. He hit .213/.279/.357, good for a 78 wRC+, his lowest offensive mark since 2020.
His defense, usually a strength, also backed up. DRS gave him double-digit positive marks in five straight seasons from 2021 through 2025, but this year it had him at minus-3.
OAA and FRV were closer to average, though still well below his previous standards.
So the Yankees have a few different paths, none of them especially clean. Stanton’s no-trade clause and salary make moving on difficult, and releasing him would not save money.
García could be dealt, but that would weaken the lineup. Sliding him to second likely costs something defensively.
Volpe or Caballero would probably defend better, but both profile more naturally as utility types because of the limitations with the bat. If McMahon is gone, those two could also get time at third, especially if García proves workable at second.
Moving García to third does not seem like a real option, since his arm strength has never been strong.
The free-agent market does offer some choices at second base, including Chisholm, Brandon Lowe, Luis Arraez and others. Still, if the Yankees can sort out one or both of those infield spots internally, they could gain some flexibility and save resources for other needs.
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