New York Yankees Land Their Third Baseman, Trade for Ryan McMahon

The New York Yankees went into this deadline needing to add a third baseman, as they vacated a hole on the left side of their infield when they moved All-Star Jazz Chisolm Jr. to second base full-time.

Rumors connected the Yankees to the top third baseman on the market in Eugenio Suarez, but competition for his services was clearly very thick. Instead of waiting around to see if they would be the ones to land Suarez, the Yankees jumped on a defensive-minded option at the hot corner instead, trading a pair of pitching prospects for Ryan McMahon.

McMahon was an All-Star last year for the Rockies, but struggled mightily in the second half of 2024, and those struggles followed him into this season. Still, he is an elite defensive third baseman, who is well on his way to his sixth-straight season with 20+ home runs.

What the Yankees Are Getting with Ryan McMahon

Dating back to 2019, Ryan McMahon has racked up the 5th-most DRS in MLB, trailing four other third basemen in Ke’Bryan Hayes, Matt Chapman and Nolan Arenado, as well as first baseman Matt Olson. Throw in Steve Kwan, and you have the six fielders who have racked up more than 60 DRS during that span.

When it comes to OAA, McMahon finds himself in the top 10 and again trails just those four third basemen. While he has never won a Gold Glove, McMahon has been a finalist, and certainly can play the position at a Gold Glove caliber level.

For a Yankees team that has struggled so much defensively this season, McMahon’s glove alone will be a welcome addition to the starting lineup. The real question, however, is how much McMahon can contribute with his bat, as he has been a below-average hitter throughout his career.

McMahon’s wRC+ has always hovered right around his career mark of 89, with it currently sitting at 88 through 100 games played this season. McMahon runs high strikeout rates (31.7%), which are offset somewhat by the power he produces and his solid walk rate (12.2%).

We are talking about a hitter that is rocking a .717 OPS right now, and half of his games have been played at Coors Field. Speaking of those splits, McMahon has a drastic difference in home-road OPS, as he has a .856 OPS in the friendly confines of Coors, and a .589 OPS everywhere else.

This year, 11 of his 16 home runs have come at Coors Fied, and 88 of his 140 career home runs have come at Coors. The one positive about this deal for McMahon is that he has pulled the ball more than ever this year at 40.6%, and now bring his left-handed swing to the short porch at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees know they are not getting the same type of punch to their lineup that they would be getting with Geno Suarez, but they are also getting a much better defender who cleans up their biggest weakness.

When you consider the other options on the market, McMahon is four years younger than Nolan Arenado and is owed less money. Ke’Bryan Hayes is younger than McMahon and a better defender, but has been hurt more and his under contract for four more seasons, with an expensive $6 million buyout on a $12 million club option in 2030.

Because McMahon is left-handed, and has shown a propensity to leave the yard with regularity, he became the best fit on the market (outside of Suarez).

Owed $16 million in each of the next two seasons, McMahon may not be worth that level of financial commitment, but he is so much better than the Yankees’ alternatives at third base this season, that his contract is worth taking on, even if you have to eat some money to get off of it in a year.

What Are the Rockies Getting in Return?

The Colorado Rockies are getting a couple of things with this trade. The obvious return comes in form of future financial flexibility. McMahon had one of the largest salaries on their books, so removing him does clear up an ability to spend in other places, and also playin time for younger infielders over at third base.

As a rebuilding team, the Rockies frankly held onto McMahon for too long, as the time to move him was coming off an All-Star Game appearance a year ago. Still, they make the move now and get a pair of pitching prospects in return.

Left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring was drafted in the sixth round last year, and has put together a great first full professional season in 2025. Split between Low-A and High-A, Herring has pitched to a 1.71 ERA in 16 starts and 89 1/3 innings pitched. He has 102 strikeouts.

Right-handed pitcher Josh Grosz joins Herring in the deal, as the Rockies land another starting pitching prospect. Grosz is up to Double-A now, after making seven starts, pitching to a 2.77 ERA in High-A. All told, Grosz has a 3.84 ERA in 121 2/3 IP across three levels this year.

The Yankees trade from an area of strength in their farm system, and the Rockies add two arms to their stable for a third baseman who likely was not going to be part of the next contending team in Colorado. Sounds like a win-win deal.