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Yankees add needed infielder in trade with Nationals
Amed Rosario (13) singles during the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Yankees add needed infielder in trade with Nationals

The New York Yankees had been on the search for a right-handed hitting infielder. They found their man late Saturday night.

Jack Curry from YES Network reported that the Yankees acquired infielder Amed Rosario from the Nationals. In exchange, the Yankees are sending pitcher Clayton Beeter and minor league outfielder Browm Martinez to Washington.

The Yankees had been looking for a right-handed hitting infielder in the wake of acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon on Friday. Rosario is exactly the type of player the Yankees had sought - a solid option capable of playing second and third. He had posted a .270/.310/.426 batting line in 158 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting five homers and eight doubles.

Rosario's greatest attribute for the Yankees is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He has a .299/.333/.483 batting line in 99 plate appearances against lefties this season, with three homers and seven doubles. He and McMahon should form a solid platoon at the hot corner in New York.

However, the Yankees paid a steep price to bring Rosario on board for the next several months. Beeter had been ranked as the Yankees' 20th-best prospect per MLB.com, with his upper-90s fastball and wipeout slider both considered plus offerings. He has operated strictly as a reliever this season, where both his ability to miss bats and questionable command have been apparent.

Martinez had been considered a player to watch heading into the season by FanGraphs, citing his solid contact rates and projectability. The 18-year-old is years away from making an impact, but has posted an impressive .404/.507/.632 batting line in 69 plate appearances in the Dominican Summer League, hitting three homers and four doubles while stealing 13 bases. His ability to make contact has been impressive, as Martinez has drawn six walks with just eight strikeouts this season. A promotion stateside could be in the cards before the end of the year.

David Hill

Based in the mountains of Vermont, Dave has over a decade of experience writing about all things baseball. Just don't ask his thoughts on the universal DH.

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