Yankees silently steal reliever Mets never should've given up during All-Star break

The New York Yankees are in dire straits in the bullpen as the second half beckons. They need arms at the trade deadline. Multiple. They could also use a few shots in the dark ahead of July 31, just to see if they might accidentally strike gold and be able to apportion a few of their prospects to the rotation and third base holes. There's a lot of business to be done - and it all gets a little easier if the Mets were two degrees too generous while nobody was watching.

Rico Garcia, a 31-year-old reclamation project hailing from Honolulu, Hawaii, has appeared in two games with the big-league Mets this season (including a Subway Series outing meant to soak up innings). Context-independent, he's been downright immaculate, eating up 4 2/3 shutout frames with three Ks and an 0.214 WHIP. He was DFA'd this past Friday in order to bring Kodai Senga back, as the Mets prioritized more familiar names over Garcia's potential flash-in-the-pan debut.

And now he's a Yankee, as New York claimed him on Monday night, while everyone was preoccupied with the Home Run Derby.

Very interesting.

The Yankees claimed potential gem Rico Garcia away from the New York Mets

Before the premature victory laps, we'll obviously note that Garcia's 0.00 ERA in 2025 is far outweighed by his 6.47 career mark in 32 games. There's a good chance this turns out to be nothing at all, in the grand scheme.

But, in the moment, it's a savvy move from an organization in 'pen peril to try to pick up some potentially talented overflow from a neighbor. Garcia, who has a 5.34 ERA in 30 1/3 innings at Triple-A Syracuse this year, might've already shown off the best he has to offer.

The Yankees, though, have struggled to fill their mop-up role this summer, with both JT Brubaker and Geoff Hartlieb recently unable to contain gigantic advantages, turning dribbles into floods in record time. Perhaps Garcia can stick around in that role while Yerry de los Santos rehabs. Or perhaps not. You'll never know if you don't find out, though, and the Yankees just moved in silence while the Mets slept.