José Caballero

Jose Caballero led Major League Baseball in stolen bases in 2025 -- and he did it while switching teams mid-game. On July 31, the Rays traded him to the New York Yankees while Tampa Bay and New York were literally playing each other. He started the game as a Ray and finished it as a Yankee. You can't make that up.

Path to the Bronx

Caballero is from Panama and signed with the Seattle Mariners as an international free agent. He debuted with the M's in April 2023, playing shortstop and showing off the kind of speed that makes coaches draw up hit-and-run plays. Seattle traded him to Tampa Bay in January 2024 for Luke Raley, and the Rays turned him loose on the basepaths. He led the American League with 44 stolen bases in 2024.

In 2025, he picked up right where he left off -- 34 steals in 86 games with the Rays before the deadline. The Yankees needed speed and defensive versatility, and on July 31, they sent outfielder Everson Pereira and pitcher Marshall Toole to Tampa Bay for Caballero.

Yankees Career

Caballero appeared in 40 games for the Yankees after the trade, hitting .266/.372/.456 with three homers and nine RBI. The on-base percentage jumped because he walked more with New York, and the power showed up in spots. He finished 2025 with 49 stolen bases across both teams -- the most in MLB.

Defensively, he played everywhere. Shortstop, second base, third base, left field, right field, center field -- the only positions he didn't touch were catcher and first base. His Outs Above Average grades were positive at nearly every spot.

Key Moments

The Role

Caballero brings something the Yankees haven't had in a while -- game-changing speed. He can steal a base in a one-run game and turn a single into a run without anyone swinging a bat. He's also the ultimate super-utility player, capable of handling just about any defensive position the coaching staff throws at him.

The switch-hitting is a big part of what makes him work. He can bat from either side, which means managers can't play matchup games against him the way they can with most utility guys. You don't have to pinch-hit for Caballero when a lefty comes in from the bullpen -- he just flips to the other side of the plate and keeps going. That flexibility, combined with the speed and the defensive range, makes him the kind of player who can show up in the lineup every day regardless of who's on the mound.

It's worth remembering how he got here, too. Caballero wasn't a top prospect. He wasn't a first-round pick. He signed as an international free agent, bounced around the Mariners' minor league system, and didn't get a real chance to play every day until the Rays turned him loose in 2024. And then he went out and led the American League in stolen bases. Sometimes the talent is obvious, and sometimes it just needs the right opportunity. The .372 on-base percentage he posted with the Yankees suggests he's learning to be more patient at the plate, too -- a sign that the speed might come with better at-bats as he settles in.

With Anthony Volpe recovering from a shoulder injury, Caballero is slated to open 2026 as the everyday shortstop. What started as a deadline rental has turned into something more.