The New York Mets acquired shortstop prospect Jefferson Rojas from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for right-hander Clay Holmes (leg) and outfielder Tyrone Taylor on Monday, a person familiar with the deal told Chelsea Janes of SNY. Rojas, 21, comes to the National League East after slashing .270/.339/.461 with a .799 OPS, 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 58 runs scored in 91 games across 390 plate appearances with Double-A Knoxville this year. Per MLB Pipeline, Rojas has become New York's top prospect, and he also sits at No. 63 overall in the sport. The 5-foot-11, 150-pound Dominican infielder Rojas probably won't be an elite fantasy option at the shortstop position in the long-term, but he should offer 20-homer potential and average speed on the basepaths, which makes him a solid pickup for the disappointing Mets in exchange for a starting pitcher who could just be a rental. He probably won't be a realistic candidate for his MLB debut until next year, and he could be what the Mets have in mind as Francisco Lindor's eventual successor.

The New York Yankees are promoting infield prospect George Lombard Jr. to the major leagues from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to Jack Curry of YES Network. Meanwhile, in a corresponding move, the Yankees are demoting current shortstop Anthony Volpe to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to the team. In addition to Volpe, former outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez is being sent to Triple-A. The time is now for Lombard, who is ranked at MLB Pipeline as the Yankees' No. 1 prospect and the No. 20 overall prospect in all of baseball, and he should immediately jump into the starting role at the 6 in New York. In 78 minor-league games with the rookie-level Florida Complex League, Double-A Somerset, and Triple-A, Lombard has hit .284/.411/.498 with a .909 OPS, 12 home runs, 33 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 65 runs scored in 358 plate appearances. The 21-year-old has high expectations, but the Yankees will look to the young infielder for a spark as they search for more offense. Lombard's power/speed upside alone makes him worth a look for infield help in mixed fantasy leagues. The former first-rounder in 2023 is already rostered in 8% of Yahoo leagues, and he's eligible at second base and third base, in addition to shortstop.

The Baltimore Orioles acquired outfield prospect Enddy Azocar from the Boston Red Sox on Monday in a trade that sent All-Star switch-hitting catcher Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox, a source told The Baltimore Sun's Jacob Calvin Meyer. The O's also picked up right-handed pitching prospects Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, outfielder Harold Rivas, and catcher Carlos Narvaez. Per MLB Pipeline, the 19-year-old Azocar is already ranked as the Orioles' No. 8 prospect. The Venezuelan outfielder stands at 6-foot-2 and 168 pounds, and he'll come to the O's organization after hitting a strong .286/.341/.540 with an .880 OPS, 18 home runs, 63 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and 76 runs scored in 85 games and 399 plate appearances with Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville. While Azocar's speed has been nice in the low levels of the minors in 2026, it's his impressive raw power and bat speed from the right side of the plate that should be his calling card whenever he's close to making his major-league debut, which probably won't be until 2028. Improving his plate discipline will be his primary focus as he looks to keep climbing in the minors in his new home.

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/outfielder Alec Burleson was nearly all the offense the Cardinals needed in Monday's 13-7 win over the hosting New York Yankees in the Bronx. Burleson had a day at the plate, going 3-for-5 with three home runs, six RBI, and a strikeout to boost his season average to .288 and his OPS to .830. As a controllable young slugger, Burleson was getting calls from other teams on the trade deadline on Monday, but the Cardinals elected not to move him, and they're probably pretty happy with that decision. The 27-year-old left-handed slugger is now up to a .288/.350/.480 slash line this year with 18 home runs and 77 RBI for the Red Birds. Burleson was money in July, going 31-for-106 (.293) with two home runs, seven doubles, 14 RBI, 15 runs scored, and a stolen base in 28 games played, but the knock against him is that he's hitting just .194 (26-for-134) with three of his 18 homers against lefties and his poor defensive metrics. His advanced hitting metrics support his overall production, though, as he comes in with a .296 expected batting average and .379 xwOBA.