{"id":126226,"date":"2026-07-19T23:29:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=126226"},"modified":"2026-07-19T23:51:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T03:51:36","slug":"yankees-lindor-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/19\/yankees-lindor-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Yankees Should Consider This Proven Veteran Shortstop at the Trade Deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script src=\"https:\/\/fast.arena.im\/script.js?siteId=6914c370d922cd00fc4cc4dd\" async><\/script>The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/12\/mlb-first-half-awards\/\" target=\"_self\">second half<\/a> of the Major League Baseball season is officially underway. The New York Yankees are rolling into crunch time, and it\u2019s appropriate to talk about the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/17\/yankees-top-pitching-prospect\/\" target=\"_self\">trade deadline<\/a>. Would a rival team\u2019s shortstop help the Yankees? <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lindofr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Francisco Lindor<\/a> seems to be a good fit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1280px\"><smartframe-embed class=\"smartframe_wp_element\" customer-id=\"b0c95bc04383cef69c6b47df872135cf\" image-id=\"WmOBH9RMUowd\" style=\"width: 100%; display: inline-flex; max-width: 6000px; aspect-ratio: 6000\/4000;\" ><\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/12\/yankees-draft-first-round\/\" target=\"_self\">MLB amateur draft<\/a> is now history, and so are the All-Star weekend festivities. The Yankees will re-shift focus on the American League East and their divisional hunt. To add tasteful ingredients to that, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/16\/6-realistic-trade-deadline-additions-that-could-put-the-yankees-over-the-top-in-2026\/\" target=\"_self\">the trade deadline<\/a> is important. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The club has until August 3 to push any potential trades through before their roster is final. Brian Cashman and his club don\u2019t anticipate a sell-off at all, unless a serious decline transpires.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Yankees sit in a position to hunt for a postseason spot, and they\u2019ll do what\u2019s needed to attain it. What\u2019s not needed right now is <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/v\/volpean01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anthony Volpe\u2019s<\/a> .245 batting average with 35 hits in 143 at-bats. Not to mention an offensive inconsistency and a defensive liability. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their answer to that role and position is ultimately in a borough that borders the Bronx. Lindor will be moved by the New York Mets, as they\u2019ll be a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/06\/28\/mets-trade-deadline-why-theyll-likely-be-sellers-but-dont-be-surprised-if-they-still-buy\/\" target=\"_self\">garage sale team<\/a>. The rumour of interest was recently brought up in the media.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Lindor Rumors Are Not Enough To Dismiss the Potential<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Media outlets are running with the rumor that the Yankees are not interested in Lindor. According to sources, Jon Heyman of the New York Post does not seem to think that Cashman sees a need for the veteran shortstop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The positive step-up from <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/cabaljo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jos\u00e9 Caballero<\/a> in the shortstop role and in the lineup may make writers and analysts think that the Yankees are good where they are. Some may also think that the emergence of George Lombard Jr is also promising.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In any evaluation, this does not seem to be a guaranteed winning situation for the club, and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/07\/14\/nyy-grades-predictions\/\" target=\"_self\">\u00a0veteran reinforcements are needed.\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Yankees Should Entertain a Lindor Acquisition<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Volpe is spoken for with regard to his player profile, his recent and consistent questionable performance, as well as his trust levels within the team. Caballero has been a guy for the Yankees, no doubt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reality is, Caballero was a second-string shortstop, playing behind Volpe. He\u2019s taken the reins and been a solid option where he\u2019s at. This doesn\u2019t mean get rid of him, but have Caballero return to his original role and have Lindor take the wheel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lindor has not been himself this season, as you can see by the numbers. His .205 batting average, along with his five home runs and 12 RBIs, does not scream \u201cpostseason\u201d gift or a weapon for that matter.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_126230\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-126230\" style=\"width: 8256px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/07\/USATSI_29411852.webp\" alt=\"New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor hits a two-run home run vs the Philadelphia Phillies.\" width=\"8256\" height=\"5504\" class=\"size-full wp-image-126230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/07\/USATSI_29411852.webp 8256w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/07\/USATSI_29411852-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/07\/USATSI_29411852-600x400.webp 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/07\/USATSI_29411852-1200x800.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 8256px) 100vw, 8256px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-126230\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jul 19, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits a two-run home run during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This could be one of the important reasons that the Mets are not good this season. Yes, one guy doesn\u2019t make a club great, but the leader of the team struggling can ruin the group. This may be the most popular perspective.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>A Fresh Start<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The other perspective is the fact that Lindor may be in an environment that\u2019s toxic, dysfunctional, and stifling. That being said, joining the correct pinstripes could change things for him, as it did for <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/chishja01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jazz Chisholm Jr.<\/a> and others.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lindor was an all-star in 2025, and he recorded 35 home runs, 68 hits, 86 RBIs, and 31 stolen bases. These numbers could be reignited, if not just the performance aspect. His defense and speed alone are enough to bat for this idea, although Caballero brings all three of these aspects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In reality, what\u2019s there to lose? Worst-case scenario, you get Caballero to slide into the situations needed, and still have speed, defense, and veteran experience on the bench. The big concern is, who do you give up for a short-term rental and a flip of a coin for performance? <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re looking at a high-end prospect: <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jonessp01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Spencer Jones<\/a>, George Lombard Jr, and maybe Ben Hess. This also could include a Major League option such as Volpe, which would be a blessing for the organization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The risk would be significant; however, if the gamble pays off with the rest of firing Yankees pistons, then it\u2019s worth it. The Yankees and Cashman will need to review this situation and possibly give it close thought.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<div class=\"arena-poll-widget\" data-site-slug=\"lwos\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The second half of the Major League Baseball season is officially underway. The New York Yankees are rolling into crunch time, and it\u2019s appropriate to talk about the trade deadline. Would a rival team\u2019s shortstop help the Yankees? Francisco Lindor seems to be a good fit. The MLB amateur draft is now history, and so [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5126,"featured_media":126229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1071,5,35],"tags":[3461,28642,6482,5149,28376,2599,49],"class_list":["post-126226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb","category-yankees","category-news","tag-anthony-volpe","tag-ben-hess","tag-george-lombard-jr","tag-jazz-chisholm-jr","tag-jose-caballero","tag-spencer-jones","tag-trade-deadline"],"modified_by":"Augustus Oswald, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5126"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126226"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126233,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126226\/revisions\/126233"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}