Yankees Linked to Surprising Big-Time Trade With Braves

The New York Yankees spent much of 2025 wrestling with an inconsistent infield, and general manager Brian Cashman appears ready to address it aggressively this winter. While veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hits free agency, highly-touted prospect Ben Rice is widely expected to assume the everyday role at first base in 2026.

Rice enjoyed a true coming-out party this past season, launching 26 home runs and posting an .836 OPS across a full campaign.

Despite his emergence as a cornerstone piece, FanSided’s Jake Elman recently labeled the 26-year-old as the Yankees’ most valuable trade asset. Under team control through 2030 and still pre-arbitration eligible, Rice carries both cost certainty and surplus value—making him an ideal centerpiece in a deal for immediate infield help.

Elman argues that New York would find it far simpler to replace Rice’s production than that of other trade candidates such as Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is closer to free agency and carries a higher price tag.

One intriguing destination, according to Elman: the Atlanta Braves.

“Which team makes the most sense? Atlanta Braves,” Elman wrote.

“Rice can be the everyday DH and catch when Drake Baldwin needs a break, assuming that the Braves trade Sean Murphy.”

In this proposed swap, the Yankees would acquire three-time All-Star second baseman Ozzie Albies. The 28-year-old switch-hitter has endured a bumpy two-year stretch, including a 2024 campaign that saw him miss more than 60 games with a wrist injury, followed by a broadly underwhelming 2025.

Still, Albies showed signs of recapturing his elite form late in the year, hitting .272/.330/.439 with nine homers after the All-Star break and posting a .787 OPS over his final 20 contests.

Atlanta recently exercised Albies’ $7 million club option for 2026, with another $7 million option looming for 2027—figures that represent significant savings compared to current market rates for a proven middle infielder. If acquired, the Yankees could slide Albies to shortstop (a position he played early in his career) alongside Anthony Volpe at second, instantly upgrading the left-side defense and adding a dynamic bat to the lineup.

For a Yankees club desperate to retool its infield without dipping heavily into free agency, packaging Rice for Albies could deliver a high-upside veteran on a team-friendly deal while opening a path for Atlanta to get younger and more athletic at DH and behind the plate.

Whether Cashman pulls the trigger on such a move remains to be seen, but Rice’s combination of power, youth, and years of control makes him the most intriguing trade chip New York has had in years.