One of the biggest holes in the Yankees' roster is the lack of a third baseman.
General manager Brian Cashman, despite his efforts this offseason, allowed the Yanks to start the regular season with a trio of third base options: Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and DJ LeMahieu.
Cabrera was lost for the season after fracturing his ankle in May and LeMahieu, after starting the season on the IL, was "physically unable" to play third base, according to manager Aaron Boone. That forced Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move from his natural position at second base to third to give the team more flexibility on the field.
However, the solid defense Chisholm showed at the hot corner last season regressed, and LeMahieu's age didn't allow the veteran infielder to man second base the way a major leaguer should. That resulted in LeMahieu eventually being DFA'd and Chisholm moving back to second base.
So, where does that leave third base for the Yankees?
Peraza and the recently-recalled Jorbit Vivas are playing third for now, but their inexperience at the plate has made their spot in the lineup an automatic out. With no internal options available, Cashman will have to go and swing a trade for a third baseman who can field and hit. That's where Ryan McMahon comes in.
The veteran third baseman is on a Rockies team that has the worst record in MLB and will flirt with breaking the 2024 White Sox's mark for worst record in history.
Colorado should be sellers at this trade deadline, but the team has not had fire sales in recent seasons like they should. Perhaps this year will be different — and the Yankees should give the team a buzz to see if McMahon is available.
Here are the pros and cons of New York making a deal for McMahon…
Pros
The biggest argument to trade for McMahon is how futile the young Yankees' third basemen have been this season.
Just looking at the current options (Peraza and Vivas), you'll see why McMahon's production is an immediate upgrade. Peraza is slashing .151/.215/.247 with an OPS of .462 to go along with three homers, five doubles and 13 RBI.
Vivas is slashing .149/.245/.255 with an OPS of .500 to go along with one homer, two doubles and four RBI.
Of course, both Peraza (146 at-bats) and Vivas (47 at-bats) have not had regular playing time this season and will get a runway here before the Yankees make a deal. But if either were hitting the ball consistently enough, the Yanks would have given them the job a long time ago instead of resorting to Chisholm playing third base.
McMahon, 30, is slashing .214/.312/.382 with an OPS of .694 to go along with 13 homers, 13 doubles and 28 RBI in 322 at-bats. Those numbers aren't great but, again, it's an upgrade.
He's also not far removed from an All-Star appearance. Just last year, McMahon made his first All-Star Game in a year where he slashed .272/.350/.447 with an OPS of .797 and 14 homers before the break. Perhaps there's something left in there that the Yankees could mine. And perhaps he'd perform better playing for a contending team instead of the 50-games-below-.500 Rockies.
His left-handed bat could also play well at Yankee Stadium.
But on the defensive side is where McMahon really shines. Over his nine-year career, McMahon has never had a negative DRS playing the hot corner. He's also a near double-digit OAA fielder the last three seasons.
The combination of defense and offensive upside is an intriguing possibility that the Yanks should explore.
Cons
Although McMahon is a better hitter than Peraza and Vivas, it's not by much. After making the All-Star team last year, the second half of 2024 was rough for McMahon. He slashed .188/.283/.309 with a .592 OPS and smashed just six homers in the final months of the season. That lack of production has spilled over to the first half of this year, which is odd for a player who calls Coors Field home.
But that advantage is also a warning sign for any team that wants to acquire him. This year, McMahon's home/away splits are alarming.
In 44 home games, he's hitting .241/.358/.441 with an .800 OPS while cracking eight homers and driving in 15. In 48 road games, he's slashing .192/.270/.333 with a .604 OPS and five homers to go along with 13 RBI.
Those splits are a career-long trend for McMahon. He's hit 85 homers and batted a career .263 with an .813 OPS in 511 games (440 starts) at Coors. On the road, he's hit only 52 homers while batting .217 with a .666 OPS across 491 games (436 starts).
McMahon's left-handed swing is also unnecessary on a Yankees roster that needs right-handed bats in the worst way.
On the defensive side, McMahon has seemingly taken his struggles at the plate onto the field. While having a positive DRS this season, it's only at 3 DRS. His career low DRS was 2 back in 2018, but it's a far cry from the double-digit DRS he had the past four seasons.
And then there's the contract.
While the Yanks would have two years of control after this one, it comes to $16 million each year. It's a similar contract to Nolan Arenado's — who is owed $31 million in the final two years of his deal — and the Rockies will likely either want the Yankees to take on the majority of it or part ways with some valuable prospects.
While a regular third base option for the next few years is great, it could keep George Lombard Jr. from making the jump to the majors.
Verdict
This is an easy pass.
While McMahon provides an upgrade offensively to the Yankees' current situation, it's not enough to warrant the prospects/money it would likely cost. If a controllable third baseman is what the Yankees want, Arenado — although he's older — makes more sense than McMahon.
And if Lombard is the future at third base, the Yankees need to make sure there's a path for him. Trading for a rental is more feasible, and Arizona's Eugenio Suarez fits that bill.
If the Rockies are desperate to move McMahon and the Yanks can get him at a steal, sure. But with that scenario unlikely, Cashman needs to look elsewhere.
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