The New York Yankees received dangerously little offensive production from their shortstop position in the 2026 season, with all shortstops managing only a collective .664 OPS. Perhaps the main culprit was former first-round pick Anthony Volpe, who played only 70 games with a .658 OPS.
But a new trade pitch aimed at the Yankees and Cincinnati Reds, published Saturday by Baseball Trade Values, in which the Yankees rid themselves of Volpe and bring back a massive upgrade in the form of two-time All-Star Elly De La Cruz. The price, however, would also be massive as the Yankees would surrender their No. 1 prospect and their top two pitching prospects, as well as Volpe in the eight-player deal.
The blockbuster trade pitch proposes sending De La Cruz from the Reds to New York in exchange for six players.
The trade proposal also hands New York Ke’Bryan Hayes’ contract. Is the price fair for a superstar?
Cincinnati would receive Volpe, outfielder Jasson Dominguez, right-handers Will Warren, Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange, and shortstop prospect Dax Kilby. Those latter three players are the Yankees’ top three prospects, as ranked by MLB Pipeline. The site’s model rates the Reds’ package at 99.6 points of surplus value and the Yankees’ at 97.7. Close to a tie.
New York Yankees Upgrade: De La Cruz Over Volpe
De La Cruz, 24, a 6-foot-5 switch-hitter from Sabana Grande de Boyá, signed from the Dominican Republic in 2018 and debuted in June 2023. He hit 30 home runs and stole 30 bases in 2026, batting .283/.365/.515 with 79 RBI. His career line is .262/.338/.463 with 90 homers and 169 steals, and he’s a two-time All-Star. Errors have dogged his defense, though he has stayed at shortstop.
Volpe, a 25-year-old New York native, hit .245 with two homers in 70 games this season. His career .225 average and .662 OPS come with 54 homers in 542 games, and his glove is the stronger tool. De La Cruz’s 2026 OPS of .880 tops Volpe’s .657 by 223 points.
Hayes, 29, a 2015 Pittsburgh Pirates first-round pick and son of longtime major leaguer Charlie Hayes, owns two Gold Gloves. This year he batted .141 with five homers in 94 games, and his career .652 OPS in 722 games shows how far the bat has fallen. He’s signed through 2029 on an eight-year, $70 million contract extension, and the model assigns him a surplus of negative 22.8.
Reds Rebuild: Kilby, Rodriguez and Lagrange
Kilby, 19, was the 39th overall pick in 2025 out of Newnan High School in Newnan, Georgia. He’s the Yankees’ top-rated prospect. Hamstring trouble limited him to about 36 games this season, but he’s hitting near .290 in Arizona. Rodriguez, 23, from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, went 11-8 with a 2.58 ERA in the minors in 2025, then went 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in six big league starts.
Lagrange, 23, a 6-foot-7 Dominican right-hander, has a fastball reaching 102 or 103 mph. Warren, 27, from Brandon, Mississippi, went 11-6 with a 3.92 ERA. Dominguez, 23, hit .225 with six homers in 57 games.
Cincinnati’s demands are on record. The club with the 11th-lowest payroll in MLB last season would require a significant overpay including major leaguers to move De La Cruz, who is under control through 2029. The Reds also turned down Boston’s all-prospect offer at the deadline, according to MassLive. This package includes four players already in the majors.
De La Cruz is on a one-year, $800,000 deal before his first arbitration raise, and Cincinnati would shed Hayes’ money. De La Cruz is estimated to be in line for an arbitration award of $7.9 million in 2027 salary, a sum that could prove an issue for the frugal Cincinnati franchise.
For the Yankees, the shortstop swap trades Volpe’s glove for De La Cruz’s .880 OPS at the position, but the club also absorbs Hayes through 2029 and surrenders Rodriguez and Lagrange, two of its most highly rated arms. Is that steep? The model says the Yankees pay in volume, not in any single asset.
The valuation lands at a 1.9-point edge for the Reds. De La Cruz’s 120.5 alone outweighs all six incoming players combined, and Hayes’ negative 22.8 closes the gap. Rodriguez (15.2) and Lagrange (11.5) together total 26.7, still below Kilby’s 30.7.
Yankees Trade Pitch Lands All-Star Elly De La Cruz For Anthony Volpe-Led Haul