Yankees spice up rainy Sunday with Astros trade

The New York Yankees have officially entered a rain delay prior to their scheduled Sunday matchup against the Kansas City Royals. In the meantime, New York has pulled off a shrewd trade.

The Yankees have acquired minor league left-hander Wilmy Sanchez in exchange for infielder Braden Shewmake, the team announced. Shewmake had been with New York since January 2025. However, he never made it into a major league game.

Now with the Astros, Houston will hope their newest addition bolsters their infield depth. Shewmake does come with 31 games of major league experience, although he has hit .118 with a home run, four RBIs and five stolen bases over 31 games. In the 10 Triple-A games Shewmake has appeared in in 2026, the infielder has hit .250 with an RBI and stolen bases.

The Yankees decided it was time to move on and instead turned their attention towards Sanchez. The left-hander has yet to make an appearance above the Double-A level. Over 105 games total, he holds a 3.80 ERA and a 248/124 K/BB ratio. During the 2026 season, Sanchez has put up a 1.29 ERA and a 8/4 K/BB ratio through five games.

With this trade, New York is trying to cash in on a lottery ticket. They felt Shewmake didn’t have a place on the major league roster. Rather than have him toil away in Triple-A, they’ll see if Sanchez could become an impactful relief pitcher down the line.

As the Yankees go throughout their season, this trade may ultimately be forgotten. But it just goes to show New York is willing to turn over every rock as they chase a World Series title.