The New York Yankees are set to acquire third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, according to the New York Post. This move comes as the Yankees look to enhance their roster with McMahon being identified as one of the premier positional players available in the trade market.
At 30 years old, McMahon has shown his consistency, posting an OPS+ between 90 and 100 for the past four seasons, despite experiencing a dip in performance this year with a batting line of .217/.314/.403 and 16 home runs over 100 games. His contributions are valued at approximately 1.4 Wins Above Replacement, as per Baseball Reference. While this season has been challenging for him, it marks only his worst output since the 2020 season affected by the pandemic.
Financially, McMahon is set to earn the remainder of his $12 million salary this season, with commitments of $16 million due in each of the following two years. This makes him a more viable long-term fit for the Yankees compared to other players on the market, such as Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks who is heading toward free agency.
The Yankees have been seeking a stable third baseman since releasing DJ LeMahieu and relocating Jazz Chisholm to second base. Manager Aaron Boone’s recent strategy has involved rotating Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas at the position, but with the Yankees trailing 4.5 games in the American League East, this was deemed an unsatisfactory solution.
In the trade, the Yankees will send two pitching prospects to the Rockies: Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz. Herring, 22, was selected in the sixth round last year and has performed impressively with a 1.71 ERA in 16 starts between Low- and High-A, earning him recognition as the eighth-best prospect in the Yankees’ system by MLB Pipeline. Grosz, also 22, has made 16 appearances in High-A with a 4.14 ERA and is regarded as the 21st-best prospect by MLB Pipeline.
This acquisition could provide the stability the Yankees desperately need as they aim to improve their standing this season and beyond. With McMahon’s power and experience, he may play a crucial role in the team’s resurgence.