Washington will receive four right-handed pitchers from New York for the veteran infielder.
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ATLANTA — The Washington Nationals are trading veteran infielder Luis García Jr. to the New York Yankees, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Washington Post.
The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal — first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan — was not official. Washington will receive four right-handed pitchers from New York: Jake Bird, Yovanny Cruz, Ben Grable and Jack Cebert.
García, the longest-tenured National, is having a career year, hitting .283 with 23 home runs. But he will be eligible for free agency after next season, and his value probably will never be higher.
“It’s a mix of sad and happy,” García said through an interpreter after Sunday’s 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves, when the deal was close. “It’s a new chapter of my career. So yeah, it’s 50-50 right now.”
The Nationals waited until close to the deadline to choose which direction they would go. But a season-high five-game losing streak, which left them three games under .500, made the decision clear. They are sellers now, trading away a key bat and clubhouse leader.
The Nationals are in dire need of pitching depth, and this deal provides reinforcements at the major and minor league levels.
Bird, 30, has major league experience with the Colorado Rockies and Yankees, pitching to a career ERA of 4.90. New York demoted him to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 19 after he allowed five runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers, spiking his ERA to 5.93.
Cruz, 26, made his MLB debut in May and has allowed just one run in 5⅓ innings. He has a 3.53 ERA and has struck out nearly a third of opposing batters in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, which is where he has spent most of the season.
Grable, 24, was pitching for Class AA Somerset, where he had a 2.79 ERA in 29 innings out of the bullpen. Cebert, is also 24 and also in Class AA. He has started 14 games this season, pitching to a 4.03 ERA, and is ranked No. 14 on MLB Pipeline’s Yankees top prospect list.
While the addition of four pitchers to the organization should help the Nationals long-term, parting with García will leave a dent. He grew up with Washington, signing as an international free agent in 2016. He made his MLB debut in 2020, sharing a clubhouse with superstars such as Max Scherzer, Trea Turner and Juan Soto.
“All those guys taught me and shaped me to be the player and person that I am today,” García said. “Coming in to this year, I was seen as a leader in this clubhouse. So for me, passing that along to everyone here, all my teammates, the young ones, that was really important to me.”
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García has been a consistent part of the Nationals’ lineup over the past six years, playing mainly second with some shortstop mixed in before he was moved to first base for 2026.
This season has been the best of García’s career, with career highs in batting average, slugging percentage, home runs and RBI. He credits part of his improvement to Washington’s new coaching staff, which helped him increase his bat speed and narrow in on the right pitches to hit.
“He’s an unbelievable person, an unbelievable teammate, an unbelievable leader for this clubhouse, an unbelievable player,” Manager Blake Butera said. “He has done everything we’ve asked him to. … He’s been a huge part of our team and a huge part of our success.”
But García’s production at the plate isn’t all that matters for the Nationals. He has grown up in the organization, going from a 20-year-old kid on his debut day in 2020 to a 26-year-old clubhouse leader and father. CJ Abrams, who was traded to the Nationals in 2022, said García was the first player he befriended when he joined the team. That bond is still there, four years later.
“That’s my brother,” Abrams said. “No matter what team he is on, we’ll always have that connection. That’s my guy.”
García bridged the gap between the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking players and was known for keeping things light. He had unique handshakes for every regular in the lineup, which he performed with them before games, after a big hit or just anytime the moment felt right.
Brady House said he couldn’t get through a conversation with García without laughing. Cade Cavalli said he has a contagious energy.
“He’s been a great friend, a great teammate,” Cavalli said. “Loved playing with him. … He’s just truly a special human.”
Abi Ortiz, who debuted in July, is the likely interim replacement for García. Ortiz has started his MLB career 1 for 2 and is hitting .244 with an .845 OPS for Class AAA Rochester this season.
The Nationals, who last week traded infielder Curtis Mead for starting pitcher Connelly Early, may not be done yet. Foster Griffin, who is a free agent after this season, could also find himself on a new team soon.
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