EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe New York Yankees are acquiring infielder Luis Garcia Jr. from the Washington Nationals in exchange for four right-handed pitchers, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Sunday.Garca, who is under club control through next season, gives the Yankees' scuffling offense a much-needed jolt as it navigates August without Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton. The 26-year-old Dominican native leads the National League in slugging percentage (.56) and is batting .283 with 23 home runs, an .873 OPS, 134 wRC+ in 104 games this season. Ben Rice, an MVP candidate, is the only active player on the Yankees' roster with better outputs in those categories.Garca is not a seamless fit on the Yankees' roster as it is currently constructed, however.While the Yankees have sought a right-handed hitter on the trade market, Garca bats left-handed. Defensively, he primarily played second base over his first six major-league seasons before moving to first base this year. The Yankees have Rice and Paul Goldschmidt, a potential future Hall of Famer, splitting time between first base and designated hitter; Jazz Chisholm Jr., a two-time All-Star, is entrenched at second base.The Yankees could have Garca start against right-handed pitchers either at first base or designated hitter, with Rice occupying the other spot, until Stanton returns from the injured list.Though unlikely, New York could also have Garca start at second base and move Chisholm, an impending free agent, to third base, where he started 78 games for the Yankees between the 2024 and 2025 seasons. But Garca was one of the worst second basemen in the majors last season -- his -17 Defensive Runs Save ranked last among qualified second basemen -- and Chisholm has said he strongly prefers to play second base.Garca's breakout helped a Washington offense that has scored the most runs in baseball, fueling a significant step forward in the standings after a 96-loss season in 2025. But the Nationals, whose staff ERA is 27th in baseball, signaled a willingness to flip major-league position players for pitching help last week when they traded third baseman Curtis Mead, whom they acquired from the Chicago White Sox in March after he was designated for assignment, to the Boston Red Sox for left-hander Connelly Early.While Early has established himself in the majors, the Nationals on Sunday opted to replenish their farm system.
