The Bombers parted ways with shortstop Trey Sweeney in exchange for González and Vivas – a move that frees up two spots on Los Angeles' 40-man roster for Ohtani and backup Joe Kelly, who are waiting to complete their reported contracts with the club.
Monday's deal came as the Yankees' contingent sets its sights on other West Coast destinations. Managing partner Hal Steinbrenner and others will work with right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Monday in the Los Angeles area.
“Pitching is definitely a focus,” general manager Brian Cashman said late last week. “Since we stopped pitching to get these deals done [for outfielders Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo]On-boarding pitching will be important, there’s no doubt about that.”
The 28-year-old González could help fill a hole in the Yanks' bullpen left by the potential departure of free-agent left-hander Wandy Peralta. Cashman said the club remains in contact with Peralta, who posted a 2.82 ERA in 165 appearances for New York from 2021-23.
In 33 2/3 big league innings last season, González posted a 4.01 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while holding opponents to a .223/.296/.331 slash line and his Held opponents scoreless in 27 of 34 appearances after missing all of 2022 while recovering from elbow surgery.
González owns a lifetime ERA of 3.22 in three big league seasons, limiting lefties to a .564 OPS (.668 OPS vs. righties).
According to MLB Pipeline, Vivas becomes the Yankees' No. 10 prospect. A 22-year-old who has played second base and third base in his pro career, Vivas batted .269 with 13 home runs, 25 steals and a .788 OPS in 135 games between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2023 .
The 20th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Eastern Illinois University, 23-year-old Sweeney spent his entire 2023 season at Double-A Somerset, where he batted .252 with 13 home runs, 20 steals and a .778 OPS in 100 games .