In the middle of their four-game series finale Thursday afternoon, the Yankees and Rays finalized a deal to send Tampa Bay utility man Jose Caballero to New York.
The Rays will receive outfielder Everson Pereira and a player to be named later from the Yankees.
Caballero was seen greeting teammates with the news of his trade in the visiting dugout in Yankee Stadium as the American League East rivals finished a rain-interrupted matinee. The Yankees went on to win 7-4.
The Yankees had focused on bullpen help throughout Thursday — making separate deals for David Bednar (Pittsburgh), Jake Bird (Colorado) and Camilo Doval (San Francisco) — but Caballero provides speed and defensive help that New York has been lacking.
Caballero, 28, has played 31 games in the outfield, 31 at shortstop, 27 at third base and 16 at second base for the Rays this season. He has committed just three errors at shortstop and four at second base.
He could be seen as a defensive replacement for Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe, who leads the major leagues with 16 errors.
In three major league seasons between Seattle (2023) and Tampa Bay (2024-25), Caballero has a career .225 batting average with 15 home runs, 97 RBIs and 104 stolen bases. Caballero led the American League last season with 44 stolen bases (on 60 attempts) and is tied for lead in the majors this year with 34 steals.
Pereira, 24, played 27 games in the majors for New York in 2023 but has stayed in the minor leagues ever since.
In a separate move, the Yankees dealt infielder Oswald Peraza to the Los Angeles Angels for 18-year-old outfield prospect Wilberson De Pena and international bonus pool money.
Peraza, 25, has made starts for the Yankees at third base, second base and shortstop this season, but he fell out of the lineup after New York acquired Ryan McMahon from Colorado last week. Peraza has batted just .152 this year and is a career .190 hitter with seven homers and 30 RBIs in 145 games since 2022.