The Yankees 2026 stopping a runaway train with all their might, Peter Parker pulling webstrings, tearing his rotator cuffs to shreds, buildings bend as New York—a team designed to out clobber the field, missing their mightiest clobberer, the one with the most clobbers in single-season history, drug free is the way to be—clings to the Wildcard.
Their offense also down two MVPs. With Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger wearing dugout hoodies, mad sunflower seeds in that middle pocket, all their return times listed as “we have no clue, yo“—it’s all on AL MVP finalist*, Yordan Alvarez playing MLB The Show on easy, Ben Rice, new superstar left-handed first baseman and designated hitter
Trade deadline Monday evening, Brian Cashman jumping ahead of the procrastinators, acquiring left-handed first baseman and designated hitter, Luis Garcia Jr., from the Washington Nationals.
Yankees get:
- 1B Luis Garcia Jr
Nationals get:
- Jake Bird
- Yovanny Cruz
- Jack Cebert
- Ben Grable
What should be a hunt for right-handed bats, keyword search “catcher”—Austin Wells batting .161 with a 54wRC+, the worst hitter in baseball—the Yankees double down on their strength, adding lefty slugger Luis Garcia Jr, another Ben Rice.
For DC, Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird join the bullpen tomorrow. Nationals put the most points on the board and wouldn’t qualify for the playoffs if they started today. 4.5 behind a Phillies team nosediving, getting some relievers to just eat innings, hold a lead—now my guy James Wood is playing postseason ball, Reggie Jackson back, baseball’s saved.
(The Nationals are probably missing the playoffs.)
Luis Garcia Jr. trade grades
Yankees: A+
23 homers (2nd most on the Yankees behind Ben Rice), 76 RBIs (more than any Yankee), .873 OPS (3rd behind Rice and Judge), 135 wRC+ (3rd behind Rice and Judge).
Luis García Jr. is 1 of 2 players with 20 doubles, 5 triples and 20 HR this season along with Pete Crow-Armstrong.
MLB SLG Leaders this season:
- .650 Yordan Alvarez
- .561 Ben Rice
- .560 Luis Garcia Jr.
An offense designed to clobber just acquired the National League’s biggest clobberer.
Ben plays first, Luis DH. Or vice versa.
Problem solved.
The Yankees garage sold 5 pitchers off their front lawn in the last 24 hours, Camilo Doval sent to Pittsburgh over the weekend, this Luis Garcia Jr. won’t be New York’s final move before the deadline…
Nationals: A+
Paul Byrd’s 5.93 ERA over 30 1/3 innings. Yuck. But like Camilo Doval, Byrd’s worst days occurred at the crib—leaving Yankee Stadium could restore him to fine.
Yovanny Cruz, a rookie with a 1.69 ERA, 30% strikeout rate, and 5% walk rate to show for his 5 1/3 innings. Sample bite size but better than anyone Washington currently employs.
Jack Cebert, a potential starting pitcher for Washington, a week after stealing Connely Early from Boston for a lemon.
Ben Grable in Double-A, a scratch-off lotto ticket. A 2.45 ERA, 6.8% walk rate, and 38.4% strikeout rate over 36 2/3 combined innings at high-A and Double-A ball, maybe a future closer the Nationals will need to play serious baseball soon.
Here’s where their pitching staff ranks:
5th worst bullpen ERA (4.98)
7th worst rotation ERA (4.54)
4th worst team ERA (4.76)
Now they have 4 guys to try and patch up their leaky faucets.
(The Nationals are probably missing the playoffs.)
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