The New York Yankees announced that they have acquired infielder/outfielder José Caballero from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Everson Pereira and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
Caballero, 28, has hit .226 (53-for-235) with 37 runs, 12 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 27 RBI, 33 walks and 34 stolen bases in 86 games this season with the Rays. His 34 stolen bases are tied for the most in the Majors. The right-handed batter has appeared defensively this season at shortstop (31G/30GS), third base (27G/5GS), second base (17G/9GS), right field (24G/19GS), left field (9G/1GS) and centerfield (2G/GS).
Over parts of three Major League seasons with the Seattle Mariners (2023) and Tampa Bay Rays (2024-25), he has hit .225/.311/.331 (204-for-907) with 127 runs, 45 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs, 97 RBI, 88 walks and 104 stolen bases in 329 games. Since 2023, his 104 stolen bases are tied for the third-most in the Majors. He has appeared defensively in his career at shortstop (140G/126GS), second base (111G/82GS), third base (73G/29GS), right field (24G/19GS), left field (10G/1GS) and centerfield (2G/GS).
The Panama City, Panama, native was originally selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the seventh round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Chipola College (Fla.). He was acquired by Seattle from Arizona in exchange for RHP Mike Leake and cash considerations on July 31, 2019. Caballero was then acquired by Tampa Bay from Seattle in exchange for OF Luke Raley on Jan. 5, 2024.
Pereira, 24, has batted .254/.357/.507 (68-for-268) with 68 runs, nine doubles, one triple, 19 home runs, 52 RBI, 38 walks and nine stolen bases in 70 games with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season. The outfielder appeared in the Majors with the Yankees in 2023, batting .151 (14-for-93) with six runs, four doubles, 10 RBI, eight walks, two hit pitches and four stolen bases in 27 games. Over parts of seven Minor League seasons in the Yankees organization (2018-19, ’21-25), Pereira has hit .273/.353/.504 (426-for-1,559) with 307 runs, 72 doubles, 16 triples, 85 home runs, 284 RBI, 176 walks and 61 stolen bases in 401 games. The Cabudare, Venezuela, native was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2017.
