Yankees Bolster Defense With Versatile Pickup From A's

The Yankees defense is getting a big boost in trade with A's

May 15, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Athletics second baseman Max Schuemann (12) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning of the game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After the A's designated Max Schuemann for assignment on Friday to make room for Andy Ibáñez on the 40-man roster, the club announced on Monday that they have traded the utility infielder to the New York Yankees in exchange for 20-year-old right-hander Luis Burgos.

The Yankees are getting a solid glove with Schuemann, who can play all around the diamond. With more consistent playing time, he would likely challenge for the utility player gold glove. He racked up a total of +8 OAA splitting time between second, third, shortstop, center and left field.

His bat has struggled for the majority of his big-league career, but he also had a terrific month of July back in 2024 where he hit. 308 with a .400 OBP, belted three home runs and drove in 11 RBI. He also added an impressive 19 runs scored in the month, setting the table consistently for the guys behind him. It also didn't hurt that both Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler were scalding hot that month.

Schuemann struggled last season in a more reduced role, serving as more of a bench player than as a jack-of-all-trades. He made it into 101 games (47 starts) but received just 183 at-bats (213 plate appearances), and hit .197 with a .295 OBP, two home runs and a .568 OPS.

One bit that is interesting is that his approach at the plate is already up the middle or to the opposite field according to his spray chart, so perhaps we could see him drive the ball a little more to the short porch at Yankee Stadium. In 2024, he would have hit an extra two homers if he'd been playing in New York based on batted ball data.

Rookie level righty

Burgos was signed by the Yankees back in June of 2024, and has accumulated two seasons of work with the Yankees affiliate in the Dominican Summer League. This past season he ended up going 3-4 with a 2.44 ERA in 11 games (8 starts) spanning 51 2/3 innings of work. He struck out 48 in that span and held a 1.16 WHIP.

The 20-year-old was also getting ground balls at a high clip, sitting at 55.5%, which could be a skill that the A's look to take advantage of when they arrive in Las Vegas, given that the new ballpark will be at the second-highest elevation among all big-league parks. The only park higher in the sky will be Coors Field in Colorado. Keeping the ball on the ground would seem like a good idea.

The big feature for the A's in this trade is that Burgos is a young arm that they will be able to have team control over for at least a few years while also keeping him off the 40-man roster. He also won't be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft until December of 2028, so they'll have at least three seasons to figure out what they have in him.