Nationals get: RHP Jake Bird, RHP Yovanny Cruz, RHP Jack Cebert, RHP Ben Grable
Yankees get: INF Luis García, Jr.
Yankees pay with quantity, not quality to get Garcia
Nationals: C
Yankees: A
In García, the Yankees acquire the unlikely NL leader in slugging percentage (.560), a 26-year-old lefty hitter who played three seasons as an everyday second baseman for Washington before switching to first base this season.
He is yet another left-handed hitter for the Yankees, but they can’t afford to be picky: since Aaron Judge’s last game on May 31, the Yankees rank 25th in MLB in slugging percentage, at just .385.
García doesn’t get on base much (.313 OBP) and he’s not fast, but he’ll put the ball in the right field seats, drive a lot of doubles, and improve an offense that really needs help. And while he’s generally a subpar defender, his versatility in the field gives the Yankees options.
Getting a hitter like García for this year and next in exchange for journeyman relievers (Bird and Cruz) and low-round draft picks from 2025 (Grable, 11th round, and Cebert, 15th round) looks like a steal.
Cebert and García failed to make Keith Law’s Top 20 Yankees’ prospects list before the season, and even now, MLB.com ranks Cebert 14th in the Yankees’ system and Grable 25th. Bird was decent for Colorado but struggled badly in New York and is currently in Class AAA. Cruz, who turns 27 this month, is pitching for his fourth organization and has appeared in four MLB games.
When asked about the prospect return today, Law said, “Grable will be a quality reliever, and maybe a fifth starter or swingman in Cebert? Good job by the Yankees turning that into García.”
For Washington, this move – like the trade of Curtis Mead to Boston for Connelly Early – underscores the confidence the Nats have in their ability to generate offense. (It is still startling to see Washington leading the majors in runs per game, at 5.37, after finishing 20th last season, at 4.24.) In that context, it’s wise to sacrifice offense to build up pitching inventory; among NL teams, only Colorado has a worse ERA than Washington’s 4.76.
But while the philosophy makes sense, the return seems more like quantity over quality. — Tyler Kepner
Nationals trade from their strength to prop up their weakness
Nationals: B+
Yankees: B-
A week after deftly flipping Curtis Mead for a controllable starter, the Nationals are selling high again and, again, receiving pitching in return. This time, Paul Toboni opted to address a destitute bullpen. And this time, the deal likely stings a bit more; García has blossomed into a homegrown success story, consistently crushing righty pitching a decade after the Nationals signed him out of the Dominican Republic for $1.3 million.
Still, this looks like another logical move by first-year president of baseball operations Paul Toboni. Just last offseason, García was a non-tender candidate. Now he’s barely a year from free agency, and the Nats, technically still rebuilding, have a more obvious need for young bullpen arms.
Cruz might already be one of his new team’s best leverage options. Grable possesses intriguing upside. Cebert, another Double-A pitcher, is a starter who could wind up as a useful reliever. Bird was having a poor season, but the veteran at least brings experience.
For the Yankees, who needed right-handed hitting, García might resemble a square peg in a round hole. That won’t matter much if he keeps raking. Even if he does, it was prudent of the Nats to cash in. — Dennis Lin
