When the New York Yankees sought to improve their lineup before the 2026 trade deadline, they wanted players who can help the team beyond the 2026 season.

However, that was a much better idea in theory than in practice. Brian Cashman added Luis Garcia Jr. and Heliot Ramos before the August 3 deadline as immediate reinforcements to New York's struggling offense, but now both are facing significant questions about their roles in 2027.

In Garcia's case, the Yankees are considering another position change. With Ben Rice at first base but holes at second and third base, Garcia may shift over from first back to his natural position as a middle infielder or to the hot corner.

It's a very risky move considering Garcia's past struggles at second and lack of experience at third (he hasn't played third since 2018, when he was a minor leaguer), but it can be worth it if Garcia's offensive breakthrough in 2026 carries over to next season.

But what about Ramos? With Aaron Judge expected to be fully healthy by the start of next season, there doesn't seem to be anywhere for Ramos to play and Cashman should be kicking himself over trading for him.

Heliot Ramos cost significant assets to be a bench player

When Cashman acquired Ramos from the San Francisco Giants, he gave up a pair of top 30 prospects in the Yankees' system, most notably left-handed pitcher Henry Lalane (ranked No. 5 at the time of the trade). This was because both Cashman and the Giants valued Ramos' multiple years of club control, as he wouldn't hit free agency until 2030.

With this in mind, trading for Ramos made no sense from the get-go, as his extreme righty-lefty splits and horrific defense in the outfield would limit him to a platoon role against left-handed pitching in the long run. Although he would get everyday playing time throughout August while Judge recovered from his rib injury, Ramos was moved to the bench as expected once Judge was ready to play.

The return of Judge and the emergence of Spencer Jones down the stretch kept Ramos on the bench for most of September. While Judge suffered a season-ending calf injury before the start of postseason play, the return of Trent Grisham and Jones' continued success resulted in Ramos appearing in just one playoff game, which was Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.

Ramos hit just .198 with a 93 wRC+ and -0.5 fWAR in 38 games with the Bronx Bombers, but was as advertised against southpaws, recording a 1.028 OPS and 184 wRC+ in 45 plate appearances versus lefties. At the same time, he justified his platoon role by registering a woeful .529 OPS in 91 plate appearances against right-handers, while Ramos' defense remained awful regardless of which corner outfield spot he played.

Trading away a pair of top prospects for a long-term bench player was horrific asset management by Cashman. With how many holes the Yankees need to address this winter, Cashman could have instead used Lalane and Kaeden Kent (the other prospect in the Ramos trade) this offseason for a much more impactful player on the trade market.

Yet the trade is even worse from Ramos' perspective. He is only 27 years old and still looking to prove himself as a starting outfielder. Spending the next three years as a platoon player with the Yankees will not give Ramos the opportunities he needs to break out before hitting free agency at the age of 31.

Ramos was a first-round draft pick by the Giants and a Top 100 prospect in the past, so wasting what could be his prime years on the bench is a miserable situation for him to deal with. Unless Cashman sees Ramos as an everyday player at some point over the next three seasons, it wouldn't be a surprise if he requests a trade from the Bronx.

Even though it's been only three months, the Giants have already fleeced the Yankees in this trade. San Francisco got two talented prospects that should help them rebuild, while New York got a player who doesn't logistically fit on their roster in the middle of a championship window. Ramos isn't the player the Yankees need to push themselves over the hump, while the Yankees aren't the organization that will allow Ramos to blossom into a more capable player.