RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesTAMPA: George Lombard Jr. of the New York Yankees before a spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Feb. 28, 2024. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images)
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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."
NEW YORK: Luis Garcia Jr. of the New York Yankees celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 3, 2026. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)
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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.
TAMPA: George Lombard Jr. hits a home run for the New York Yankees in a Spring Training game against the Houston Astros on March 1, 2025, at George M. Steinbrenner Field. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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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.
That’s much more than his father got as a speedy outfielder and second-round pick in 1994 but not as good as his brother was paid last month. George Lombard, now the Detroit Tigers’ bench coach, signed for $425,000 with the Atlanta Braves 32 years ago. Son Jacob, a shortstop, got $5 million as the Miami Marlins’ top pick, No. 14 overall, on July 11.
We’ve Seen This Before
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."
NEW YORK: Anthony Volpe of the New York Yankees displays his 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove award that was presented to him before a game against the Oakland Athletics at Yankee Stadium on April 23, 2024. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images)
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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 Peraza. Fans loved “the hometown kid” even though the 22-year-old hit only .209. He also had 21 homers, 24 steals, 60 RBI and won a gold glove – the first by a Yankees rookie at the position.
His offense was essentially the same in 2024 and 2025 but much more was expected. Meanwhile, his defense lagged. He made 19 errors a year ago , tied with Boston’s Trevor Story for most in the American League at shortstop.
Volpe tore the labrum in his left shoulder diving for a ball in May, He stayed in the lineup all year and had surgery in October. He was still recovering during spring training and op...
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