One of the Yankees’ biggest needs heading into Monday’s trade deadline was a right-handed hitter, preferably one who could provide a boost offensively behind the plate or in the outfield. They took their time getting a deal done, but were ultimately able to secure precisely that in a trade with the Giants, having agreed to acquire outfielder Heliot Ramos.
The full trade sees Ramos head to New York in exchange for left-handed pitching prospect Henry Lalane, the organization’s No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. Also heading to San Francisco is Kaeden Kent, son of MLB Hall of Famer Jeff Kent. Kaeden was the Yankees’ No. 13 prospect.
Just a day after adding a left-handed slugger in Luis Garcia Jr., the Yankees further fortified a depleted lineup by bringing in Ramos. The 26-year-old has three additional years of control on his contract, not due to hit free agency until the 2029–30 offseason. A right-handed bat, Ramos owns a .728 OPS this season with nine home runs and 34 RBIs across 74 games. He was an All-Star in ‘24 when he hit 22 homers and had 72 RBIs and has 52 home runs over the last three seasons.
Let’s grade the trade.
Yankees
The Yankees addressed a need by bringing in Ramos, who will help to man the outfield while Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger are shelved with injuries. Ramos is an interesting pickup. He’s not a particularly skilled defender, though he’s made appearances at both corner outfield spots this season. At the plate, he has a high strikeout rate (26.8%) and an extremely low walk rate (5.2%), but he’s excellent against left-handed pitching (career .847 OPS vs. LHP) and boasts solid power.
How he’ll fit when the Yankees get back to full strength remains a question, but it’s one that will be kicked down the line until it needs an answer. Most likely, he’ll be a solid platoon bat who mostly faces lefties. For now, the Yankees add some pop to a lineup that’s struggled in Judge’s absence, while securing the right-handed bat the group was sorely lacking. Plus, Ramos could become a big part of their future plans, considering he’s under team control for three more years.
The 26-year-old could realistically see his offensive numbers improve in New York, having spent his entire career playing at the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park––where he became the only right-handed hitter to ever park a baseball into the famous McCovey Cove. His ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field will play well with Yankee Stadium’s infamous short porch in right field. Three of Ramos’s nine home runs this season were hit to right or right-center field, so he shouldn’t have much trouble clearing the 314-foot right-field wall in the Bronx.
Grade: B+
Giants
It’s a nice pickup for the Giants, who acquire the Yankees No. 5 prospect in the 6'7" lefty Lalane. The 22-year-old has pitched at Single A and High A in 2026, and owns a 2.77 ERA on the season with 98 strikeouts and 26 walks in 78 innings. Lalane boasts a plus fastball that’s topped out at 98 mph this year, and has a good changeup in his arsenal, too. Lalane underwent shoulder surgery after the 2025 season, but he’s been excellent since returning to the mound.
Kent is another quality prospect the Giants will add to their farm system. As a shortstop, Kent would’ve struggled to reach MLB with the Yankees, who have George Lombard Jr. and Dax Kilby in the farm, but the former third-round pick is a solid addition for San Francisco. He’s batting .302 with a .792 OPS at High A this season, with six home runs, 43 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 76 games. Kent’s path to MLB remains crowded with the Giants, who have four middle infielders––Josuar Gonzalez, Luis Hernández, Jhonny Level and Gavin Klein––as their top four prospects.
The Giants are trying to get younger, and offloading Ramos for a pair of prospects will help them do that. Still, with how much control remains on Ramos’s contract, it’s possible San Francisco could’ve gotten a bit more for him. The Giants have been busy at the deadline, shipping off Luis Arraez, Robbie Ray and now Ramos.
