Yankees Announce Trade With Nationals at Spring Training

Vivas is out of minor league options, meaning the Yankees would have had to place him on their major league roster or otherwise risk another team claiming him on waivers. The Yankees seemingly didn't anticipate Vivas making their Opening Day roster, however, so they traded him to Washington so as to receive some value for a player they'd be losing anyway.

In Linan, the Yankees add an already-intriguing right hander to their superb pitching development system. Linan signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Colombia for just $17,500 (h/t MLB Pipeline) and played in their system from 2022 to 2023 before being traded to Washington for outfielder Alex Call last trade deadline.

Spanning three minor league levels in 2025, Linan pitched primarily as a starterposting a respectable 3.03 ERA in 77 and 1/3 innings along with an impressive 106 strikeouts.

Linan was the Nationals #27 ranked prospect going into the 2026 season (h/t MLB Pipeline), and he throws a fairly pedestrian fastball that sits between 90-93 mph. But Linan's main appeal comes from his changeup, which drops off the face of the earth just before contact.

Using the 20-80 prospect ranking scale, Linan received a 70-grade on his changeup. A trait given a grade of 70 is considered well above average, suggesting that Linan's changeup is such a special pitch that he could make a career off of it. And although his low fastball velocity caps his present upside, there are few better places for a pitcher to be traded than the Yankees, who excel at getting the best out of their arms.

Linan will start the season in the minor leagues for the Yankees while Vivas could potentially earn a bench spot on the Nationals' Opening Day roster, which was shallow in the way of infield depth.