Projecting the Yankees lineup and trade grade if they acquire Luis Garcia Jr.

The New York Yankees are "trying to complete a trade" for Washington Nationals infielder Luis García Jr., per NY Post's Joel Sherman. Among the names being discussed in a potential return package is 24-year-old Jack Cebert, a right-hander with a 4.90 ERA in 64.1 innings pitched at the Double-A level.

García has broken out in a big way for the Nats this season, with an .873 OPS and 134 wRC+. The lefty has received interest from other teams, including the Red Sox and Astros, but the Yankees are evidently frontrunners at the moment, enamored by his offensive skill set and in desperate need of reinforcements as their injured list piles up.

What the Yankees lineup will look like after Luis Garcia Jr. trade

The Yankees will presumably attempt to keep García either at first base or DH, as his offensive breakthrough this season coincided with a move off of second base, where he graded out as one of the worst defenders in MLB a year ago. New York presumably prefers the rangier gloves of Chisholm, McMahon and Caballero elsewhere in the infield anyway.

Therein lies the challenge of this trade, as the Yankees already have Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt — two of their more durable, productive hitters this season — toggling between first base and DH. Once Giancarlo Stanton returns from injury, he will command full-time reps in the DH spot, which further restricts their positional flexibility.

We can expect García, who struggles against left-handed pitching (.547 OPS), to settle into a first base platoon for now, with Goldschmidt coming in to face southpaws. Rice will continue apace at DH. Once Stanton returns, however, Rice should be the full-time first baseman. The Yankees can't take their MVP candidate out of the lineup. At that point, we could see the Yankees explore a move to the middle infield for García, even with the associated defensive risks. His bat, at this moment in time, is much more valuable than either Chisholm or McMahon.

The Yankees have struggled with the wave of injuries to Stanton, Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger. This lineup, once the most fearsome group in the American League, has spent the last few weeks steeped in mediocrity. García becomes a powerful luxury once the Yankees get healthy, but he does not address their foremost needs beyond the inherent value of a productive bat.

Grading Luis García Jr.'s potential fit with Yankees

The Yankees can and will find creative ways to keep García in the lineup once Stanton, Judge and others return. That said, the Yankees are currently overindexed on left-handed bats. García becomes less dependable in lefty-on-lefty matchups, which can also be said about Chisholm, McMahon and even Rice.

García offers a potent blend of consistent, hard contact with pull-side power that show play well in Yankee Stadium with the short porch in right field. He's up to 23 homers and 76 RBI on the season. On talent and production alone, this is an impactful addition. García won't draw a ton of walks, but he hits for average and finds his way on base. He'd be a valuable cleanup hitter, in certain matchups, behind the likes of Rice and Judge, once the Yankees are healthy.

The positional oddity — and the fact that New York really needed, or still needs, a right-handed bat — sours this trade a little bit, but García comes with an additional year of club control. He's an undeniable force right now. Next season, once the Yankees can reshape the depth chart a bit, it should be easier to find García a more natural home in the full-strength lineup.

Fit grade: C

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