Yankees Demote 3 Young Stars Amidst Roster Shakeup

The New York Yankees look quite a bit different following Monday’s trade deadline, and that’s not entirely because of who they acquired.

New York sent three highly touted prospects: RHP Angel Chivilli, OF Jasson Dominguez, and infielder Anthony Volpe to the team’s Triple-A club in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Their move to Triple-A allows the big-league club room for a pair of trade deadline acquisitions, Luis Garcia Jr., an infielder acquired from the Washington Nationals, and outfielder Heliot Ramos who came over by way of the San Francisco Giants.

Following tonight’s game, the Yankees optioned RHP Angel Chivilli, OF Jasson Domínguez and INF Anthony Volpe to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) August 4, 2026

Moving Angel down a level is the least surprising of the Yanks’ moves. From the week of July 27 – August 3 Chivilli pitched in five games and allowed seven runs over that span, six of which came in his last outing on Monday. The 24-year-old’s arm could use a rest without taking up a roster spot in New York.

Dominguez’s demotion isn’t overly surprising considering the team added Ramos, a 2024 All-Star who plays the same position. In 200 plate appearances this season, Dominguez was slashing just .230/.270/.380. He’s contributed six homers and 14 RBI in 53 games. The 23-year-old is seeing a regression from his 2025 pace when he slashed .257/.331/.388.

Sending Volpe to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is the biggest eye-opener of the Bronx Bombers’ roster shuffling. The Yankees’ perceived shortstop of the future – a 2023 Gold Glove winner – has struggled this season, batting just .240 with one home run. In the field, Volpe committed four errors in 56 games. In the minors, he’ll split time between shortstop and second base. Despite his issues at both the plate and in the field, few expected to see the Yanks pull the plug on Volpe’s tenure this soon.

Volpe’s move to Triple-A coincides with New York calling up George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ first round pick in 2023, generally considered to be the club’s top prospect. Lombard, like Volpe, plays shortstop. Lombard made his MLB debut Tuesday and went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in a Yankees win.

New York’s roster shuffling comes at a time when the team is chasing Tampa Bay for the AL East division title. As of Wednesday night, the Yankees were three and a half games behind the Rays. And Polymarket doesn’t seem to like the Pinstripes’ chances of catching Tampa. Only 32% of bettors are wagering on the Yankees to win the division, while Tampa Bay’s odds are at 50%.

With a couple of months left in the regular season, it’s shaping up to be a competitive race for the division crown, especially with a re-tooled Yankees roster.

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