This is one outlet's own report from Yahoo Sports — the article as it was filed.
AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
What Yankees expect out of 1st upgrade: ‘This trade is really good for us!
CHICAGO — After the Yankees won another low-scoring game, 2-1 on Sunday at Wrigley Field, they went through their handshake line, headed through the visiting dugout and up a flight of steep stairs and into the clubhouse.
That’s when they found out about the big trade news.
About 26 hours before Monday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline, general manager Brian Cashman improved a roster that badly needed more offensive firepower with Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger on the injured list and possibly not returning until September.
The Yankees completed a deal with the Washington Nationals for Luis Garcia Jr. , a left-handed first baseman having an outstanding season.
Check out these numbers:
In 104 games, Garcia is hitting .283 with 23 homers and 75 RBI, all career-bests over his six MLB seasons.
Yankees third baseman Amed Rosario loved the trade. He played with the Nats for part of last season and had a locker next to Garcia.
“Really good player,” Rosario told NJ.com. “What’s he bringing to the team? A lot of things. He’s a good hitter. A lot of power. Really nice guy, too. Quiet. Yeah, this trade is really good for us!”
The Nationals’ return for Garcia was four pitchers. They’re getting rookie reliever Yovanny Cruz, a right-hander with a 101-mph fastball, who was just recalled from Triple-A on Saturday, plus three minor leaguers: Triple-A reliever Jake Bird, Double-A starter Jack Cebert and Double-A reliever Ben Grable.
Bird was acquired from the Rockies on July 31, 2025 – last season’s trade deadline – and posted a 7.32 ERA in 39 outings for the Yankees over the last two seasons.
The other two pitchers are organizational top-30 prospects, per MLB Pipeline, with Cebert ranked No. 14 and Grable No. 25.
When Yankees manager Aaron Boone met with reporters, the trade hadn’t been announced yet, so he wouldn’t address Garcia other than offering a one-liner on what stands out: “He can rake!”
Later, the Yankees’ official trade release included more Boone comments in an audio file taped by the club’s media relations.
“I’m really excited,” Boone said. “He’s really come of age this year. He’s been one of the best left-on-right hitters in the National League this year. We think he fits our ballpark very well. He should help hopefully give a little jolt to our offense, which has obviously scuffled here a little bit over an extended period.
“I hear great things about him and I can’t wait to see him impact our lineup.”
Garcia will likely start at first base against right-handed starting pitchers while Paul Goldschmidt will play first against lefties.
Garcia has 20 homers against right-handed pitching — tied for ninth most in the majors — with a .295 batting average and .918 OPS in 297 plate appearances. Goldschmidt’s .306 average against left-handers is the third highest among 52 AL players with 50-or-more at-bats against lefties.
With Garcia and Goldschmidt platooning at first base, Ben Rice will continue to do a lot of DHing and, according to MLB Radio host Jim Bowden, will begin assuming catching duties for the first time this season.
Rice was drafted as a catcher, and in 2025, his first full season, he was behind the plate for 36 games, 26 as a starter.
The Yankees are hoping Garcia will provide a spark to an offense that has scored three or fewer runs 24 times in its last 39 games since June 18. The Yankees are 18-21 during the stretch.
Over the weekend, they scored two runs in all three games against the Cubs: 2-0 and 2-1 wins and a 5-2 loss.
Cashman is looking for a veteran outfielder and a right-handed-hitting catcher to share duties with Austin Wells and potentially Rice.
Gerrit Cole, Sunday’s winning pitcher, is confident the Yankees will make every effort to get more done before the deadline.
“Well, it’s one of the blessings about playing for the Yankees,” he said. “The organization is always pushing forward and doing their best to improve the team whenever they get the opportunity to. So as a Yankee player, it’s a beautiful position to be in because you can just trust what the organization has done over the years.”
Read the original article on NJ.com . Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
What YankeesBaseball'sAfterYankeesWrigley FieldThat’sAboutMonday’sBrian CashmanAaron JudgeCody BellingerThe Yankees
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.
