Yankees get pitching prospect in intriguing trade with NL club

There are only a few days left before the 2026 MLB regular season begins, and it’s time for some teams, including the New York Yankees, to make some tough final roster cuts to meet the 26-man limit for the new campaign. To that end, the Yankees traded infielder Jorbit Vivas to the Washington Nationals in exchange for pitching prospect Sean Paul Liñan, as per Andrew Golden of The Baltimore Banner.

Vivas was out of minor-league options, so he needed to crack the big league roster for the Yankees lest they ran the risk of losing him via waivers. Instead, they decided to get ahead of the situation and trade him to the Nationals, where he presumably will make the 26-man roster on Opening Day.

Vivas is a 25-year-old infielder who’s shown positional versatility throughout his time in the Yankees system. However, his bat leaves a lot to be desired. He hit for an OPS of .516 in 66 plate appearances for the Yankees across 29 games last season, and while his ability to get on base has been impressive in Spring, it’s clear why New York decided that he was rather expendable.

New York has Jose Caballero, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Amed Rosario to provide middle/corner infield depth, which is why Vivas is on his way to the nation’s capital.

As for the pitcher the Yankees got in the trade, Liñan has some potential as a pitcher with some nasty stuff. Across three levels in 2025 splitting time with the Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers, he recorded an ERA of 3.03 in 19 games (15 starts) for a total of 77.1 innings pitched.

His strikeout rate for the whole season was 12.34 per nine innings, and in a brief cameo in Triple-A, he put up a strikeout rate of 14.73 per nine innings in two starts. His command, however, is hit or miss.

Nonetheless, his ability to mix up his pitches and utilize his changeup to great effect could make him a solid piece for the Yankees in the near future, and he’s still very young, having turned 21 just this past November.

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