Because he was another first baseman/DH and hit left-handed, Luis García Jr. did not seem like a perfect fit when the Yankees acquired him at the trade deadline.

They needed a right-handed bat, which they got a day later in Heliot Ramos. They needed a catcher, which did not happen. And they needed a bullpen arm or two, which they struck out on in a development that threatens to haunt them the rest of the season.

But as the García deal neared completion earlier this month, with his offense in desperate need of any help it could get, Aaron Boone sat in the visiting manager’s office at Wrigley Field and boiled the move down to one simple fact: “He rakes.”

In the weeks since, not only has García raked, but his fit on the roster has become even smoother, the combination making the trade look like a boon for Brian Cashman as the Yankees head down the stretch.