The New York Yankees have added another infield reinforcement at the MLB trade deadline.
The club swung a trade with the Washington Nationals on Saturday for utility infielder Amed Rosario, it announced Saturday. Going back to D.C. are pitcher Clayton Beeter and outfielder Browm Martínez.
Rosario is the Yankees’ second trade-deadline acquisition, as New York also added third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday.
The deal doesn’t give the Yankees a full-time starter at any position, but Rosario does present value between his defensive versatility and ability against left-handed pitchers. He has appeared mostly as a third baseman and second baseman for the Nationals this year and has experience at shortstop and the outfield.
Rosario has been a more than effective hitter against southpaws this year, slashing .299/.333/.483 in 93 plate appearances entering Saturday. That figures to be how New York uses him, inserting him into the lineup whenever it makes sense. Both McMahon, the likely starter at third base, and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. are left-handed batters.
It’s also a return to New York for Rosario, who spent the first four years of his career with the New York Mets.
The question now is what else the Yankees do. They were one of many teams expected to be in on Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suárez, arguably the prize of the trade deadline, but they’ve now added two players at the same position and have other needs, such as a bullpen that ranks 23rd in MLB in both innings and ERA. And then there’s the matter of MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge, who went on the IL earlier Saturday with a flexor strain.
Meanwhile, the Nationals are getting MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 Yankees prospect in Beeter, who has struggled so far in the majors but has a fastball-slider combo that appears viable for the big leagues. Martinez is 18 years old, signed with the Yankees last year and has so far excelled in Dominican League action.
