George Lombard Jr.'s surge coincides with Yankees' biggest trade deadline decisions

The New York Yankees didn't really address a position of need when they traded for Luis Garcia Jr., but they did address a broader concern, which was the offensive production their battered lineup has delivered in recent weeks. As the trade deadline feeding frenzy intensifies, the Yankees are faced with a grim reality: most of the controllable players they could target to fill holes might not be available.

That has the potential to impact what seemed like one of New York's greatest areas of opportunity, the shortstop position, where Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero have underwhelmed, but top options like Zach Neto and CJ Abrams might only be available if their respective clubs receive a significant overpay. Both players, while very talented, have key flaws as well, which makes paying a premium a questionable move.

Fortunately, the Yankees have an alternative in the form of top prospect George Lombard Jr. who is heating up just at the right time. After a four-hit day on August 2, he has posted a .377/.477/.604 line since returning from the IL on July 17. After an initial slow start following his promotion to Triple-A, Lombard Jr. has posted a .268/.405/.440 line over 56 games in Scranton.

Promoting George Lombard Jr. would allow the Yankees to pursue other pressing trade deadline needs

There was some thought that the club was getting ready to pull the trigger on a big league promotion for the 21-year-old; however, shortly thereafter, it appeared that the Yankees got cold feet.

Letting him get his feet back under himself before calling him up to the bigs was probably a prudent decision, but now it's been 14 games since he's returned, and trying to determine reasons to keep him down feels like grasping at straws.

If the Yankees were to promote Lombard Jr., it would take a prime trade asset off the table. More importantly, it would give the club a chance to solve an issue internally. While the No. 20 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline, would hold a lot of value on the open market, he's arguably more important to New York as a solution rather than a chip.

The bar is set pretty low at shortstop. If Lombard Jr. can be just an average hitter with a solid glove, he'd be an ideal replacement for Volpe while forcing Caballero back to full-time utility work.

From there, the Yankees can set their sights on problems that don't have internal solutions. Catcher should be No. 1 on the list. Adley Rutschman, Ryan Jeffers (one can still dream), or Tyler Stephenson would be the best of the bunch.

On top of that, New York can also focus on adding to its bullpen, though not at the cost of being extorted in the pursuit of Adrian Morejon. Another nice thing to have would be a right-handed-hitting outfielder, even if it's someone of the Tyrone Taylor variety.

Point blank, Lombard Jr. has proven all he needed to in the minor leagues. While it's never ideal to throw a rookie into the thick of a playoff race, he has more value to the Yankees today as the MLB starting shortstop than he does being over-seasoned at Scranton or traded away for an established player who may or may not have the same upside. From there, the Yankees will have the ammo to fill the other key holes, providing for a more well-rounded roster overall.

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