There cannot be many more cold-blooded ways to remind Major League baseball players that they are commodities before they are people than what the New York Yankees just did.
Amid a flurry of moves to strengthen their bullpen to follow on from a week full of line-up additions, the Yankees also reportedly completed a trade in the final few minutes before the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline with their division rival, the Tampa Bay Rays – while in the middle of playing a game against them.
With their game delayed by more than two and a half hours due to rain, the Rays and Yankees were still only in the seventh inning of the fourth game of their current series when the clock ticked past 6.00pm Eastern, signalling the end of the trade window. The news cycle immediately began to report that the Yankees had traded for Rays super utility player Jose Caballero – while Caballero was fielding at second base, barely 90 feet away.
Short Walk Across The Infield
Caballero had not been slated to play in anticipation of being dealt, due to multiple teams being interested in his versatile services. But when each of Chandler Simpson, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz were each of Chandler Simpson, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz were forced to leave the game in the first five innings through three unconnected injuries, Caballero was called upon to take the field, manning second base while Brandon Lowe – whose defensive struggles at second this season are well documented – moved to first to replace Aranda.
This unexpected call to action, plus the rain delay, led to the rather undignified spectacle of Caballero being pulled from the game and saying goodbye to his team mates, only to head for the other dugout on the other side of the field. There is a running joke about when teams trade for players on teams that they are about to face, in which the player just has to switch dugouts, yet almost never does it actually play out as it did for Caballero – who had to actually do it.
It was nothing personal, Sonny. It was strictly business. But what a business it can be.
Yankees Give Up The Future For The Now
The Yankees coveted Caballero because, as a defensive replacement and pinch-runner, there are few better suited for the role. For what reportedly will be a package of Triple A outfielder Everson Pereira and a player to be named later, the Yankees will get themselves defensive cover at every position, as well as the joint-current majors steals leader.
It was a deadline full of acquisition for the Yankees, who were able to close deals for each of Caballero, David Bednar, Jake Bird, Camilo Doval, Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario and Austin Slater, all while keeping premium prospect Spencer Jones. The Rays were also busy, but in less clear-cut fashion, trading away all of Caballero, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell, Curtis Mead, Paul Gervase, former Yankees catcher Ben Rordvedt and Danny Jansen in exchange for Pereira, Griffin Jax, Hunter Feduccia, Adrian Houser and Nick Fortes, but without seemingly picking a direction of travel.
The Rays, perhaps, need to decide where they are heading. But Jose Caballero knew where he was heading – straight across the diamond, and into first place.
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