The New York Yankees don’t do subtle, but sometimes the smallest ripples in February create the biggest waves in October. Monday’s trade with the Athletics might look like a footnote in the transaction wire—acquiring infielder Max Schuemann for minor league righty Luis Burgos—but it’s a move that screams “insurance policy” for a roster that’s had its fair share of basement-dwelling depth issues. Brian Cashman is clearly tired of watching the season stall out because a backup shortstop couldn’t field a routine grounder.
Schuemann is the definition of a “swiss-army knife” with a chip on his shoulder. He isn’t coming to the Bronx to displace Jazz Chisholm Jr. or Ryan McMahon, and he certainly isn’t here to provide the thump we expect from Aaron Judge. Let’s be real: a .212 career average over 234 big league games isn’t exactly going to have the bleacher creatures chanting his name. But he’s a 28-year-old who can play six different positions without looking lost. In a sport where a 162-game grind eats hamstrings for breakfast, that versatility is pure gold.
Defensive Grit Over Offensive Flash
The numbers tell a story of a guy who simply knows how to exist on a baseball field. Last season with the A’s, Schuemann posted five Outs Above Average at second base and another four at the hot corner. He’s a stabilizer.
While his 78 wRC+ suggests he’s a bit of a black hole in the bottom of the order, he offsets that by being a menace on the basepaths, swiping 21 bags over the last two years. He doesn’t need to be a star; he just needs to be better than the “replacement level” ghosts that usually haunt the Yankees’ bench.
Trading away Luis Burgos is a calculated risk, but a necessary one. Burgos is only 20 and showed promise in the Dominican Summer League with a 2.44 ERA last year, yet he’s years away from sniffin’ the Stadium. The Yankees are in a “win-now” window that is practically closing its own shutters. They need a guy who can step in for Anthony Volpe on a Tuesday in July and not commit two errors that lead to a four-run inning.
The Roster Shuffle and the Price of Depth
The most interesting wrinkle in this whole deal is the casualty: Yanquiel Fernández. The Yankees only claimed the former Rockies top-100 prospect a few days ago, and he’s already been designated for assignment to make room for Schuemann. It shows you exactly where the organization’s head is at. They’d rather have a proven, versatile defender like Schuemann than a high-upside project like Fernández who hit .225 and looked lost in the corner outfield. Perhaps, if he goes unclaimed, they can outright him to Triple-A.
By outrighting Dom Hamel and Braden Shewmake to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Yankees are quietly stockpiling a “just in case” squad that actually has some MLB experience. Schuemann is the crown jewel of that safety net. He’s likely headed to Florida with a non-roster invitee vibe, but don’t be shocked if he breaks camp with the big club. If he can just find a way to get that OPS north of .700, he’s the perfect late-inning defensive replacement or pinch-runner for a team that desperately needs to stop beating itself with mental and physical lapses.
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