It’s all but guaranteed that the New York Yankees will be interested in adding an infielder during the trade deadline. There have been multiple names who have continued to pop up, with Ryan McMahon of the Colorado Rockies being the most prominent of the bunch. McMahon, a decent but not great player, is expected to be heavily pursued by multiple teams around the league.
However, despite the Yankees’ interest, some believe they need to stay far away from the left-handed slugger, and it’s tough to blame them. That includes Yankees on Sports Illustrated, which recently noted that the Coors Field effect is real, and the last thing the Yankees want is for a player to come in and not swing the bat as well as they expect them to.
âThe 30-year-old would appear to be an ideal fit for New York on paper considering he’s an all-world defender and a left-handed hitter who could take advantage of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. Furthermore, his career slash line of .240/.323/.418 and the fact that he’s hit at least 20 home runs in each of his last five full seasons paint a picture of an above-average offensive player.
âThe Coors Field effect is real, though, and McMahon simply can’t produce away from Denver. He holds claim to a paltry .666 OPS on the road throughout his entire tenure in the big leagues, which pales in comparison to the .813 mark he’s put up at home. McMahon’s never finished a season with a wRC+ above 97, and he’s currently in the midst of a particularly underwhelming campaign that’s seen him log a .694 OPS while leading the NL with 119 strikeouts,â they wrote.
Yankees’ Interest Level in McMahon
To add to what Sports Illustrated had to say, McMahon has been an interesting player throughout his career, and while he might help the New York Yankees in some sense given how bad they’ve been at the position for much of the year, it’s also tough to ignore that he currently leads the National League in strikeouts with 120 and has never had an OPS+ above 97 throughout his career.Â
Despite the potential issues, it was reported last week by Jon Heyman of the New York Post that the Yankees have checked in on McMahon.
âThe Yankees checked in on McMahon, according to sources, and the often trade-averse Rockies will listen. Heâs playing well after a putrid start likely affected by all the putridity around him (.828 OPS since May 1). Has reasonable $37M to go through 2027,â they wrote.
The Trade Proposal
When searching for what a potential deal might look like, Sports Illustrated’s Dave Holcomb recently proposed one. He added that the New York Yankees will likely have to give up prospects who aren’t close to contributing at the big league level.Â
If that’s the case, it might make sense for the Yankees to get involved, but itâd still be tough to justify giving up too much here, as McMahon really isn’t as good as some have suggested.
âColorado Rockies receive Yankees No. 11 prospect and catcher Edgleen Perez and No. 16 prospect and right-hander Gage Ziehl.
âNew York Yankees receive third baseman Ryan McMahon.
âNew York acquiring McMahon would also likely involve prospects not close to contributing at the MLB level. Colorado could set the record for the most losses in a single season in MLB history this season, so any trade the Rockies make should have the distant future in mind, not next season or even the year after that,â he wrote.
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