Why Jorbit Vivas may turn into a lot more than a trade throw-in for the Yankees

Why Jorbit Vivas may turn into a lot more than a trade throw-in for the Yankees

TAMPA — The headliner was Victor Gonzalez.

But Jorbit Vivas was not just some throw-in.

When the Yankees swung a deal with the Dodgers in December — in part spurred by Los Angeles needing to clear 40-man roster spots for Shohei Ohtani and Joe Kelly — the most immediate impact was landing Gonzalez. The lefty reliever essentially served as insurance in case Wandy Peralta signed elsewhere in free agency (he eventually did with the Padres).

But the trade also included a swap of infield prospects, with the Yankees sending shortstop Trey Sweeney (who was not yet on the 40-man roster) to the Dodgers and pinpointing Vivas (who was) in return.