Yankees News: CC Sabathia number retirement, George Lombard Jr., minor league departure

Major League Baseball officially announced on Wednesday that the New York Yankees will retire CC Sabathia's No. 52 on Sept 26. The fan-favorite Yankee became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2025.

Sabathia will be the 24th Yankee to have a plaque in Monument Park forevermore, joining recent retired-number honorees Paul O'Neill (2022), and Derek Jeter (2017).

No MLB franchise has retired more uniform numbers than the Yankees. In 2015 alone, the Yanks retired three: Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte.

Sabathia, 45, won a World Series title and ALCS MVP trophy in 2009 with the Yankees.

Across 11 seasons in the Bronx, Sabathia compiled a 134–88 regular-season record and 1,700 strikeouts in 1,918 innings pitched.

In December 2008, Sabathia signed with the Yankees after having already won an American League Cy Young award with the Cleveland Indians in 2007. At the time, Sabathia's seven-year, $161 million contract with New York was the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history.

Yankees News: George Lombard Jr. shines with bat, glove against Nationals

George Lombard Jr. is arguably the most talented of New York's top prospects, and he showed why in the fifth inning of Wednesday night's spring training game against the Washington Nationals.

In the top of the frame, the 20-year-old Lombard flashed a gorgeous web gem playing third base. Lombard charged in on a bouncer down the line, barehanded the baseball, and fired a strike to first.

The play epitomized exactly what you would imagine an elite shortstop to look like in the situation, so it was nice to see Lombard deliver the goods. Anthony Volpe was not available for comment.

Lombard wasn't done impressing, either. In the bottom of the fifth, he punished a misplaced fastball from ex-Yankees right-hander Clayton Beeter all the way to the warning track in left, driving in two runs.

The laser from Lombard immediately made Yankees fans dream about him providing New York with another much-needed right-handed bat in 2026, even if his development isn't likely to take him there quite so soon.

And speaking of development, that of infielder Max Burt is no longer under the directive of the Yankees organization.

Burt, who slashed .223/.296/.297/.593 OPS in Double A and Triple A for the Yankees in 2025, has reportedly signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Burt was originally selected by the Yankees in the 28th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Northeastern University. He has the most hits in Somerset Patriots history and figures to be a minor league placeholder for the Tigers as they graduate their top prospects in 2026.