NEW YORK — The scuffling New York Yankees added infield depth on Saturday night, acquiring Amed Rosario from the Washington Nationals for pitcher Clayton Beeter and a minor leaguer.
“When I heard where I was going, I kind of didn’t believe it,” Rosario said through an interpreter in Minnesota, where the Nationals beat the Twins 9-3. “I mean, at some point I kind of knew I was going to get traded, but I didn’t know it was going to be today.”
The move came hours after New York said star slugger Aaron Judge is headed to the injured list – and one day after the Yankees obtained third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies for two pitching prospects.
McMahon made his Yankees debut on Saturday in a 9-4 loss to Philadelphia. New York is 21-28 following a 35-20 start and has slipped a season-high 6 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Toronto.
“He’s actually been a guy who we’ve tried to kind of get the last couple of years to varying degrees,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Provides some defensive versatility, speed and really gets lefties, so I think it kind of makes our bench and the balance of our roster a little more workable.”
The versatile Rosario likely will be used mostly at third base, second base and outfield corners, and he also can play shortstop. He’s a right-handed hitter with an .816 OPS against left-handed pitching this season, making him a good fit for a platoon with McMahon.
McMahon and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. both bat left-handed. And shortstop Anthony Volpe, a right-handed hitter, is batting just .217 in his third major league season.
The 29-year-old Rosario was hitting .270 with five home runs, 18 RBIs and a .736 OPS in 46 games and 158 plate appearances with Washington overall.
“I helped a lot, I think,” Rosario said. “Especially the young players. I kind of showed them the hard work I put every day, so I hope they take that from me.”
Rosario was one of baseball’s highest-rated prospects when he broke into the big leagues with the New York Mets in August 2017 at age 21. He is a .273 career hitter with 68 homers, 110 stolen bases and a .707 OPS in nine major league seasons. He also has played for Cleveland, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cincinnati Reds.
“I feel great, because whenever teams are in playoff contention they always acquire me towards the end,” Rosario said. “I just feel really good about that.”
Beeter, 26, was 0-1 with a 14.73 ERA in two appearances out of New York’s bullpen this season. He was optioned by the Nationals to Triple-A Rochester.
The right-hander has made 83 minor league starts, and he struck out 39 batters in 23 2/3 innings over 21 minor league outings this season – his first as a full-time reliever. He was ranked the No. 20 prospect in New York’s system by MLB.com.
The last-place Nationals also received 18-year-old outfield prospect Browm Martinez, who was hitting .404 (23 for 57) with three homers, 16 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 18 games with the Dominican Summer League Yankees this year.