The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Nationals writer Spencer Nusbaum chatted about the García trade on Sunday. Find his discussion here.
The Washington Nationals traded first baseman Luis García Jr. to the New York Yankees on Sunday. A quartet of right-handed pitchers headed to Washington in the return, including Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird. Jack Cebert and Ben Grable, two prospects in New York’s system, were also part of the deal.
García has had impressive under-the-hood numbers for a few seasons now, but he’s never had a year like this. Arguably the poster child for Washington’s offensive revolution, he has already reached career highs in home runs and RBIs. García, CJ Abrams and James Wood have been jockeying for best slugging percentage in the National League.
“I know that he’s a great hitter. I know that,” said José Caballero, García’s soon-to-be Yankees teammate. “I just saw the news. Excited to see him here and what he can contribute to the team, for sure.”
The 26-year-old García crushes right-handed pitching, has the sort of power that teams salivate over and was a beloved member of the Nationals’ clubhouse. He also has a sky-high chase rate and has been shaky at first base in his first year at the position. The Nats did not give him many at-bats against lefties, given a career sub-.600 OPS against same-side pitching. But he has a reliable, lethal bat when facing right-handers.
Luis García Jr. is arguably the poster child for Washington’s offensive revolution this season. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Cruz, a 26-year-old rookie, throws a 100-mph heater with a slider that may be even better. Bird, 30, has two years of control after this one and has pitched to a 5.93 ERA this season. Cebert, 24, has a 4.03 ERA with 96 strikeouts over 82 2/3 innings in Double A this year. And Grable, 24, is a reliever in Double-A and has 56 strikeouts in 36 2/3 innings this year with a 2.45 ERA.
In consecutive days, the Yankees have undone parts of what didn’t go well with last year’s trade deadline, when they acquired Bird and Camilo Doval, along with closer David Bednar. Bird and Doval were mostly disappointments, and on Saturday, the Yankees sent Doval to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for a pair of minor leaguers.
With the García move, the Yankees, who were desperate for offense, get a jolt. The Nationals, just as desperate for pitching, acquired arms in bulk.
García will almost definitely become the Yankees’ first baseman vs. righties. Ben Rice would slide to DH vs. righties (and probably lefties). And Paul Goldschmidt would play only against lefties. Then the Yankees would have to figure out the roster when Giancarlo Stanton (right calf strain) returns. The Yankees could try to put García in the short right field at Yankee Stadium, though that would be a definitive risk, as he has never played there.
García was a perfect fit in the Nationals offense, which leads the majors in runs. The Nationals, though, have also been bullish on the upside of his potential replacement, Abimelec Ortiz, whom they acquired from the Texas Rangers for MacKenzie Gore this winter.
“I’m leaving with a lot of great memories,” García said through an interpreter after Washington’s game Sunday, a 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. “All I can say is that I love this organization.”
On Friday, García told reporters that he wanted to remain a National past the trade deadline. Less than 48 hours later, he was a late scratch in Washington’s lineup Sunday. He spent most of the game alone on the bench as coaches and teammates occasionally wandered over. At several junctures, he headed into the tunnel, only to return a couple minutes later. In the sixth, he chatted with third base coach Victor Estevez and manager Blake Butera, who put his arm around García’s shoulder.
At the inning’s conclusion, García smiled, then disappeared into the tunnel. About 30 minutes before the trade was finalized, he said he plans to fly with the team to Philadelphia.
García said the hours leading up to the trade were weird and uncomfortable, a mix of sadness and happiness. Teammates pontificated about what his loose, carefree spirit has meant to a clubhouse that’s needed it.
“He’s an unbelievable person, an unbelievable teammate, unbelievable leader for this clubhouse, unbelievable player,” Butera said. “However this shakes out, we’ll always love Luis. He can always play on my team.”
“He was probably the first guy I really talked to, for real,” said Abrams, a close friend of García’s, who arrived via trade in 2022. “Kind of grew up together. So it’s just tough.”
“If everybody’s going to be sad that I’m leaving,” García said, “that means I’ve been doing things really good.”
