The New York Yankees have been featured a lot in MLB news this month. With the trade deadline just a couple of weeks away, multiple players have been named to the All-Star game, and DJ LeMahieu being designated for assignment and eventually being released. This puts even more pressure on the Yankees’ front office to make moves and fill the roster’s biggest needs.
One of the team’s glaring issues now is third base after the news of Jazz Chisolm Jr. moving to second base.
Ryan McMahon’s Potential of Being Traded
One potential link for the New York Yankees is the Colorado Rockies’ third baseman Ryan McMahon, who would be a massive upgrade for New York. Since the Rockies hold Major League Baseball’s worst record, they may be willing to sell off any veteran assets, and it has been reported that they could be shopping players like McMahon and reliever Jake Bird.
Anthony Franco of MLBTraderumors.com provided some insight into what makes the Rockies’ third baseman an attractive target:
“McMahon, Márquez, and Bird are Coloradoâs three most obvious trade chips. They all featured prominently on MLBTRâs initial list of the top 40 trade candidates last week. McMahon is a plus defensive third baseman with power and strikeout concerns. He had an abysmal April, raked in May, and has cooled back off since the beginning of June. Heâs hitting just .210/.310/.373 on the season and has been a well below-average hitter (.207/.305/.350) over the past calendar year.”
Yes, McMahon is not hitting for much average in a very hitters-friendly ballpark, Coors Field. However, he still has 12 home runs on the season, and playing at Yankee Stadium should help the lefty slugger’s power numbers.
What Would This Deal Cost New York
McMahon is in the final years of a six-year, $70 million deal, which the New York Yankees may not want to take on. Still, with the vacancy at third base and other targets potentially not being available, the Yankees would have to hope that the 2024 All-Star can figure it out again. As for what it would cost New York, it’s reasonable to assume it would take a top-ten prospect to get the deal done, and maybe a low capital guy like Oswaldo Cabrera.
The 30-year-old McMahon did hit 48 extra-base hits a season ago when he was named the Rockies’ only All-Star, and with 25 XBH this season, he is on pace again. The strikeout numbers, however, are a little bit discouraging. He has 118 this far this season in just over 300 at-bats.
Regardless of who it is, the Yankees need to pick up an infielder who can play on the left side. Even their shortstop, Anthony Volpe, is having a bad offensive season. Other than SS and third, New York has seen steady production from everyone on the diamond, but the glaring issue is fixing that side of the infield, which could ultimately hold the Yankees back from returning to the Fall Classic.
As the deadline rapidly approaches, expect the Yankees to be actively shopping a third baseman, and if they can’t come up with a big-name on the market like Eugenio Suárez, to acquire a guy like Ryan McMahon.
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