The trade is official: the Nationals have dealt infielder Luis Garcia Jr. to the Yankees for four pitchers, marking their second deal ahead of Monday’s MLB trade deadline.
In return for Garcia, the Nationals get RHPs Jake Bird, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert, and Ben Grable.
Garcia, who spent his entire seven-year MLB career in DC, had a breakout campaign in 2026, slashing .283/.313/.560 – the latter number leading the NL – with career highs of 23 homers and 76 RBI in just 104 games.
He has one more year of team control beyond 2026 and could be deployed in any manner of ways by the Yankees in 2027, but for now, he is likely to be the lefty bat in tandem with Paul Goldschmidt, who has struggled against righties but has a .307/.399/.589 slash line against southpaws, in a first base/DH rotation along with All-Star Ben Rice.
As for the Nats’ return:
Bird, 30, is 1-1 with a 5.93 ERA in 36 outings (30 1/3 IP) over three stints with the Yankees this year. He was acquired at the trade deadline last year from Colorado but made just three MLB appearances, and has shuttled back and forth between the Bombers and Triple-A a few times.
The right-hander never seemingly found his footing in the Bronx, posting a 7.24 ERA overall with 35 K in 32 1/3 innings over his calendar year, and the Nats optioned him to Triple-A as well after the deal.
He will be arbitration eligible for the second time this winter – he is making $1 million this season – and has at least two years of team control remaining, possibly three depending on how many days he spends on the Nats’ MLB roster over the final two months of the season.
Cruz, 26, is the other MLB-proven player acquired, having made his MLB debut this year. He allowed just one run with six strikeouts in four relief outings for the MLB team this year, and was 7-3 with a 3.53 ERA, four saves, and 52 K in 35 2/3 innings at Triple-A this year.
He will slot right into the Nats’ bullpen, where his fastball that routinely hits triple-digits could make him a strong weapon in the back end of the relief corps – now and for the future, as he will have a full six seasons of team control beyond 2026 as well as two minor-league options.
Grable, 24, is the third reliever of the four hurlers acquired, and represented the Yankees in the 2026 Futures Game. He has split this year between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, going 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA, four saves, and 56 K in 36 2/3 innings over 32 relief appearances. He was selected in the 11th round of the 2025 Draft, but did not pitch last season following his selection, so this season marks his professional debut and he is already at Double-A (where he will report for the Nats) and could be an option for the MLB team perhaps as early as next season.
Cebert, 24, has the same pedigree as Grable: he is a 2025 draftee (15th round) who split this season between Hudson Valley and Somerset. He is 4-4 with a 4.03 ERA and 96 K to 25 BB in 82 2/3 innings over 16 games (14 starts), but he also made a handful of relief appearances last year as well, so this is NOT his pro debut.
