Yankees' wasteful 2024 trade with Padres could come back to haunt their depth

As Yankees fans have been accustomed to annually since around 2021, the team has a depth problem heading into a brand new season. Perhaps Brian Cashman thinks he can clean it up at the trade deadline, but history suggests that will not be the case.

On the bright side, the Yankees' new-look lineup actually feels like it could do some damage in 2025. If that's the case, the depth won't be as big of a concern, but with the way injuries have already impacted the roster, the worry is that, eventually, there might not be enough bodies.

The infield has help at first base, and that's about it. DJ LeMahieu's injury and Oswald Peraza's likely DFA will further thin the versatility at second base, shortstop and third base. And the outfield honestly isn't much better.

There's Aaron Judge in right, Cody Bellinger in center, Jasson Dominguez in left, and Trent Grisham on the bench. Though Oswaldo Cabrera can help out there, his infield presence will be prioritized. The Yankees could address all of this with a last-minute move before Opening Day, but it probably would've been more helpful not to trade a prospect with decent upside last year.

Former Yankees farmhand Brandon Lockridge, who was sent to San Diego at the deadline in the wasteful Enyel De Los Santos deal, has made the Padres Opening Day roster after a good spring training.

Yankees could use former top prospect Brandon Lockridge to start 2025 season on Opening Day roster

Across 21 spring games, Lockridge hit .356 with an .872 OPS. He struck out just nine times in 45 at-bats and stole seven bases. He's not a power threat by any means, but he possesses a good eye and above-average athleticism that's valuable on the defensive end and on the base paths.

Not to mention, this could've saved the Yankees millions and aided in their "lefty heavy" problem. Cashman could have non-tendered Trent Grisham this offseason and parted with his $5 million salary. Grisham also seems married to center field, while Lockridge came up through the farm system playing all three outfield positions.

There's obviously value in Grisham's power and veteran experience, but it's far from a deal breaker for the Yankees, who are always in need of adequate defenders and aggressive baserunners. It remains to be seen if Lockridge can actually contribute in a meaningful way to an MLB roster, but Yankees fans were awaiting his arrival last year. Now, he's taken the next step with his new team and has a chance to carve out a role for himself.

As the Yankees claim they're "out of loot" while in need of a right-handed bat, it turns out that using Lockridge as a meaningless throw-in for an unhelpful trade wasn't the right call.