The offense-needy New York Yankees are bringing in an outfield bat. The Yankees are finalizing a trade to acquire right-handed hitter Heliot Ramos from the San Francisco Giants, reports ESPN. Minor-league lefty Henry Lalane is part of the package heading to San Francisco, as is Kaeden Kent, son of Jeff, according to MLB.com.
Ramos, 26, is hitting .264/.394/.424 with nine home runs around a quad injury this season. He's plateaued as a hitter since his All-Star 2024 season, though he has big power to the opposite field and hits lefties well (.835 OPS). That makes him a good fit for Yankee Stadium's short right field fence and also a good fit for a righty-heavy Yankees lineup.
The Yankees have struggled badly to score runs since Aaron Judge (rib fracture) was placed on the injured list in early June, and especially so over the last few weeks. Since June 18, they're averaging 3.30 runs per game, dead last in baseball. The Yankees are also without Giancarlo Stanton (calf) and Cody Bellinger (hamstring), all of whom are still weeks away from returning.
Ramos is best as a platoon hitter, but he could very well play every day for this version of the Yankees. He is the second position player the Yankees have added in the last 24 hours. They brought in slugging first baseman Luis García Jr. in a trade with the Washington Nationals over the weekend. He is in their lineup and batting third Monday night.
Despite their offensive trouble, the Yankees have won 13 of their last 20 games, and they're three games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the loss column in the AL East. They sit in the top wild-card spot, though the scorching hot Boston Red Sox have closed the gap.
Ramos is the third player the Giants have traded away at the deadline, joining lefty Robbie Ray (to the San Diego Padres) and second baseman Luis Arraez (to the Philadelphia Phillies).
CBS Sports will have more on this story shortly.
