The New York Yankees enter this compressed offseason with a familiar mix of talent and uncertainty on the infield, and the approaching labor stoppage only heightens the need for a move that locks in production rather than hope.
After finishing 93-68 and exiting in the ALDS, the club still lacks a clear everyday shortstop who can both hit and field at a high level day after day.
George Lombard Jr. showed flashes after his August promotion, and Anthony Volpe offered occasional spark, yet neither has established himself as a reliable cornerstone heading into 2027.
At third base, Ryan McMahon’s bat has not justified everyday play, leaving Brian Cashman with an infield that looks more like a collection of question marks than a settled strength.
Chris Landers of FanSided made that case clearly in a recent piece recommending one trade for every club before the lockout. He argued that a right-handed platoon partner for Austin Wells can be found relatively cheaply and that true center-field upgrades are scarce, so the infield remains the most logical place for the Yankees to make a splash.
Landers specifically pointed to Miami Marlins infielder Otto Lopez, calling him one of the more underrated players in baseball because of his blend of on-base skills and defense, and noting that the Marlins appear open to moving him as he enters arbitration for the first time.
Lopez’s 2026 season supports the interest. The 27-year-old (turning 28 in October) hit .305 with a .349 on-base percentage, 32 doubles, nine triples, 11 home runs, and 34 steals across 157 games while playing shortstop almost exclusively.
He posted a roughly six-win season by advanced metrics, combining contact ability, baserunning value, and above-average defense.
For a Yankees lineup that already features power threats, a high-contact, high-OBP middle infielder who can cover short or second without creating additional defensive holes would raise the floor immediately.
Because he is only now reaching arbitration and remains under team control for several more seasons, he also fits the financial picture the Yankees face if a new collective bargaining agreement introduces tighter spending rules.
Acquiring him would not come free. The Marlins have built an underrated middle-infield tandem and are under no obligation to sell a player still in his prime.
The Yankees would almost certainly have to part with at least one upper-level prospect—possibly someone in the mold of a young shortstop or a near-ready pitcher—to get Miami’s attention.
Still, the return of a proven major-league contributor who has already shown he can hold his own over a full season carries less risk than continuing to bet on internal development alone.
With the window for trades expected to close around December 2, Cashman has limited time to decide whether the cost of certainty is worth paying now rather than waiting for a market that may not reopen until spring.
Lopez represents exactly the kind of controllable, well-rounded piece that would give the Yankees a clearer infield picture before baseball goes dark.
