Yankees Acquire Former Top Prospect in Trade With Athletics

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The Yankees have made a trade with the Athletics.

Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in less than one week. There are more offseason moves to be made, though. The New York Yankees proved that by adding infield depth in a trade with the Athletics.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees acquired infielder Max Schuemann from the Athletics in exchange for right-handed pitcher Luis Burgos. Yanquiel Fernandez will be designated for assignment as a result.

Schuemann is a former top prospect in the A’s organization, but has struggled in the big leagues. After the Athletics added Andy Ibáñez, they designated Schuemann for assignment. That is where the Yankees swooped in to grab him. And New York is happy to have the depth in the infield.

Max Schuemann’s MLB Career

GettyMax Schuemann has struggled at the plate in his Major League career.

Schuemann was a top prospect for the Athletics in 2024. He was No. 21 in the organization in Oakland before making his MLB debut that year.

In his rookie season, Schuemann played 133 games, batted .220, and finished with an OPS of .619. The infielder homered seven times, drove in 34 runs, stole 18 bases, and played every position but first base and catcher.

Last year, the 28-year-old took a step backwards. He slashed .197/.295/.273 with two home runs, 13 RBI, seven stolen bases, a 0.2 bWAR, and he played every position but first base and catcher. Schuemann really struggled at the plate, but his plus-8 Outs Above Average (OAA) kept him in the big leagues for 101 games.

The Yankees will hope for Schuemann to show some improvement at the plate during spring training. The defense is well above average, but he has to hit if he is going to have a spot on the 26-man roster. At the moment, Schuemann will most likely start the season in the minor leagues.

Schuemann’s Fit on the Yankees

GettyMax Schuemann will have an opportunity to make the 26-man roster.

The Yankees have plenty of infielders. At the moment, the starters will be Jazz Chisholm at second base, Jose Caballero at shortstop, and Ryan McMahon at third base. Another player to keep in mind is Anthony Volpe. He will miss the beginning of the year, but he has Aaron Boone’s vote of confidence when he returns.

Schuemann does play the outfield, as well. But the Yankees are full there. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham are the three starting outfielders. There will not be much room for Schuemann to earn a starting spot at Yankee Stadium.

The utilityman does have an opportunity to earn a bench role, though. With his ability to play every position and his above-average glove, he could be a better fit than some of New York’s other options. Both Amed Rosario and Oswaldo Cabrera play multiple positions, so Schuemann has competition.

Still, he will get a fair chance to earn a spot on the opening day roster. Schuemann will have to show improvement at the plate, but there is plenty of opportunity for him to make the team in New York.

Cam Zunkel Cam Zunkel has been a sports journalist since 2022. He covers the NBA and MLB for Heavy.com. Cam also covers multiple MLB teams for On SI – part of the Sports Illustrated Brand. He is a former collegiate baseball player with two stops in the independent Frontier League. More about Cam Zunkel