Yankees May Have Forced Themselves to Trade Top Prospect

Could the New York Yankees have put themselves in a situation where they have little choice but to trade a former top prospect? 

The Locked on Yankees podcast seems to think so. 

On the March 6 episode, host Brian McKeon examined the “legitimate chance” of George Lombard Jr. sticking with the big league club after spring training. Despite being just 19 years old and not playing higher than High-A ball, Lombard has impressed with his offensive skills in the early part of spring training, batting .333 with a pair of home runs – “two moonshots, by the way,” McKeon stressed – and four RBIs. 

“He’s killing it in spring training right now,” McKeon said. 

Rise of George Lombard Jr. Could Mean No Spot Left for Oswald Peraza

GettyNew York Yankees third baseman Oswald Peraza has struggled to get established at the Major League level.

But McKeon noted that keeping Lombard Jr. – who was drafted as a shortstop with the 26th overall pick of the 2023 draft but can play several infield positions – would likely be at the expense of Oswald Peraza. And therein lies the dilemma. 

A top-four prospect for the Yankees from 2020 to 2023, Peraza has been unable to establish himself at the Major League level, even though he has made several trips up from the minor league system. Peraza impressed during an 18-game MLB debut cameo in 2022, as he slashed .306/.404/.429 and earned a spot on the ALCS roster. However, Peraza batted just .191 across 52 games in 2023, and he earned just 10 at-bats with the Yankees last year. 

With that brief, 4-game showing in 2024, New York used the last option it had on Peraza, which means if the Yankees keep him on the Major League roster, but later decide to send him down, he would have to clear waivers. 

“And since he is a guy that that a lot of teams are trying to trade for, he’s not going to clear waivers,” McKeon surmised. “There’s no chance that he’ll clear waivers. He’ll probably go to the first team that’s able to claim him.” 

It would appear that the Yankees have painted themselves into a corner. 

“By the amount of times that you called up Peraza and sent him down, and called him up and sent him back down, and called him up and sent him back down, you’ve created a problem for yourself now,” McKeon said. 

Best Player Approach Means Yankees Might Keep Lombard Jr.

However, McKeon said the Yankees shouldn’t have a problem breaking camp with Lombard Jr. on their roster. 

“The Yankees have proven in the last few years, they will play the best players,” he said, “and they owe it to themselves, they owe it to the fan base, they owe it to the guys on this roster that made the World Series last year. You’re a World Series Contender, you’re the favorite of the American League, you’re coming off a pennant last year. You have to be able to put the best player on the field out there, and if George Lombard Jr. currently is that player, then he has to play.” 

It would certainly plug up a large hole in the lineup if Lombard Jr. was able to play third base. In addition to Peraza’s inconsistent play, veteran DJ LeMahieu has struggled with injuries and a decline in production, and Oswaldo Cabrera would be little more than a short-term answer.  

Watching Lombard Jr. compete this spring, it’s not difficult to get excited over the prospects of him lining up next to Anthony Volpe on the Yankees infield for many years. 

“I was really impressed,” Aaron Judge said of Lombard Jr. “Seeing him move over to third base, he’s got a great arm. He was accurate. He was hitting every single guy in the chest. Smooth hands; Anthony Volpe is one of the best shortstops I’ve ever seen, and you put [Lombard] right next to him at third base, it’s pretty cool to see that on the left side of the infield.” 

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