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SportsMoney New York Yankees Make ‘Big Trade’ With Callup Of George Lombard Jr. By Chuck Murr ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Chuck analyzes and writes about baseball, soccer & other sports. Follow Author Aug 04, 2026, 02:38pm EDT Aug 04, 2026, 03:23pm EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Summary The New York Yankees have swapped shortstops, promoting top prospect George Lombard Jr. to the majors while demoting Anthony Volpe to the minors. This move follows a contentious trade deadline and intense fan pressure over Volpe's declining defense and recent injury. GM Brian Cashman highlighted Lombard's "plug-and-play" defensive readiness, a crucial factor. Lombard, a former first-round pick, has significantly improved his minor league hitting this season, complementing his elite athleticism. The organization hopes this change will solidify the infield, as the Yankees remain in a strong playoff position, awaiting the return of key sluggers.
A day after the wild MLB 2026 Trade Deadline , the New York Yankees swapped shortstops within their own system. Much-hyped George Lombard Jr., is up for his MLB debut and much-maligned Anthony Volpe is back in the minors.
“Defensively, he’s plug-and-play, ready to go,” General Manager Brian Cashman said in mid-July.
That’s good enough for always raucous Yankees fans and the perpetually harsh New York media. Both factors have spent much of 2026 vilifying Volpe’s play, particularly on defense.
The blogpost Bleedingyankeeblue summed up their feelings: “This wasn’t just a baseball move. This was an organization finally cracking under the weight of fan pressure and years of its own failures. Let's be honest. Brian Cashman backed himself into this corner and did a horrible job at the trade deadline. After another deadline where the Yankees failed to make the kind of significant moves that could actually change the direction of this club, something had to give. The fan base has been screaming for accountability while Cashman continued to sell patience. Well, patience ran out.”
Cashman told reporters Monday he tried to trade for a shortstop. "We engaged everybody," he said. "We tried to evaluate all opportunities in the marketplace. And, with that being said, I don't think there were a lot of opportunities that existed that were upgrades for us. We like the players we have and we like the players we have on the come."
The Yankees’ best acquisition at the deadline, Luis Garcia Jr., from Washington, paid instant dividends. A few hours after being obtained for three right-handed pitchers, Garcia started at first base and went 2-for-4, including a two-run homer.
Manager Aaron Boone expressed confidence this past weekend before the flurry of trades that Lombard could be a prize upgrade at short.
“I think he’s had an outstanding year,” Aaron Boone told reporters. “I think he’s gotten better. I think he continues to show a ton of progress. We love the kid and the makeup. It’s been fun to see him — any of your minor league players or prospects, you want to see them develop and get better. In George’s case, obviously a high-profile one, that’s continued to happen. It’s a testament to his work ethic and his talent.”
Thus far, the 21-year-old has shown he can run, throw and field with the best of them . Until this year, his ability to consistently hit a baseball was not as certain even though he was ranked as the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline .
Despite missing a month with two sprained fingers on his left hand, Lombard hit .284 with 12 home runs and 14 stolen bases in 78 games in the minors this year. He batted .312 in 20 games at Double-A Somerset. Since being promoted to Triple-A, he hit .268 with six homers, 21 RBI, 44 runs scored, and 10 steals in 56 games.
That’s much better than his combined .233 mark with 14 homers in 242 games at lower levels the previous two years. In 2024 and 2025, the best thing he did on offense was run, accumulating 74 steals and 146 runs scored.
Yankees scouts maintain that the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Lombard’s patient approach at the plate, smooth swing and good bat speed along with adding muscle will make him a power threat.
They had that forecast for him back in 2023 when New York made him the 26th pick in the first round and signed him for $3.3 million at age 18.
“George has a number of physical attributes and is an elite athlete with all five tools and skills to play shortstop,” said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ vice president of domestic amateur scouting at the time. “He has the ability to impact the ball and use the whole field for power, alongside good contact skills.
“The makeup is a separator. He is focused on every pitch with an unquestioned work ethic. All of that from a young man with Major League bloodlines and a mom that was also a high-end collegiate athlete.”
His father was a speedy outfielder and second-round pick in 1994. His brother was a first-rounder last month. George Lombard, now the Detroit Tigers’ bench coach, signed for $425,000 with the Atlanta Braves 32 years ago. Jacob Lombard, a shortstop, got $5 million as the Miami Marlins’ top pick, No. 14 overall, on July 11.
Volpe’s signing and promotion received great fanfare, too. He also was a first-round choice (No. 30) in 2019. Better yet for the fans and media, he was essentially one of them growing up 39 miles from Yankee Stadium in Morristown, N.J.
He signed for $2,740,300 at age 18 then missed all of 2020 due to the Covid outbreak that cancelled the entire minor-league season. In 2021, he hit .294 with 27 homers, 113 runs, 86 RBI and 33 steals in Class A ball.
Predictably, fans hit the radio call shows, insisting, "Bring him up now."
The Yankees waited two years and did put Volpe in their lineup to start the 2023 season after he won the spring-training battle for the position over highly regarded Oswald Per...
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