The New York Yankees, seeking infield reinforcement due to DJ LeMahieu’s injury, acquired seasoned infielder Jon Berti from the Miami Marlins in a three-team trade announced on Wednesday.
In return, the Marlins received two outfield prospects: John Cruz from the Yankees and Shane Sasaki from the Tampa Bay Rays. Meanwhile, the Rays acquired catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Yankees.
Jon Berti: Versatile Infielder and Potential LeMahieu Replacement
LeMahieu, the Yankees’ regular third baseman and anticipated leadoff hitter, recently landed on the injured list with a bruised right foot, leaving Oswaldo Cabrera and now Jon Berti to step in as temporary replacements.
Berti, 34, rose to prominence in the majors at 29 in 2019. Since then, he has maintained a solid batting record, hitting .258/.338/.367 with 23 home runs and 91 stolen bases in 432 games for the Marlins, displaying versatility across second and third base, as well as shortstop.
Upon LeMahieu’s return, potentially by the end of April, Berti would address the Yankees’ longstanding offseason goal of acquiring a backup infielder.
“That’s why I think it was so important for us to get a guy like Jon Berti. He can not only be a starter in this league at a number of positions, but hopefully once you do get whole — which hopefully happens here early on — then you have an elite utility guy that can play a lot of different positions,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday.
“Before a few hours ago, I was concerned about our infield depth and our bench and how we were going to maneuver that a little bit. I feel like that improved a lot today.”
Rays’ Catching Needs Addressed with Rortvedt Acquisition
Rortvedt, who is out of options, addresses a major need for the Rays, who previously had only one catcher, presumed starter Rene Pinto, on their 40-man roster.
“In theory it kind of complements our catching situation and really our overall lineup, being a lefty hitter. We got a couple of lefties down,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s coming from a really good organization. He’ll transition over here really well. … We don’t mess with too many guys that we don’t think are good defensively. And we do think highly of him defensively.”
Prospects Exchange: Sasaki and Cruz’s Future
Rortvedt, 26, brings 71 games of major league experience, valued primarily for his defensive skills despite a modest .489 OPS.
Sasaki, 23, drafted in 2019, and Cruz, 18, signed from the Dominican Republic, represent future potential, though they have yet to play beyond Single-A levels.
This report used information from ESPN.
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