When the New York Yankees traded for Ryan McMahon, the Colorado Rockies must have felt like they were let off the hook. The perennial cellar dwellers of the National League West somehow made the first good move in the franchise's recent history when they sent him to the Bronx without having to eat a single penny of his deal.
McMahon could easily be compared to Joey Gallo in terms of his inability to contribute offensively, but the difference is that Gallo was a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate when he came to New York. McMahon, on the other hand, never had a single season where he was at least league average.
McMahon had an 89 wRC+ with the Rockies. His calling card was his defense, yet even that has declined. In addition to posting an 80 wRC+ with the Yankees, he had a 0 OAA and -3 DRS at third in 2026. This follows a season last year when he had a 7 OAA and 10 DRS.
What Yankees can do with Ryan McMahon
If there's one focus the Yankees should have this Winter, it's somehow dealing McMahon. The issue will be finding a suitable trade partner.
Is there any team that wants to take on a player who can't hit, isn't a great fielder anymore, and is making $16 million this year? When you have a league where the Pittsburgh Pirates feel Paul Skenes's arbitration number will be too high, Brian Cashman and company shouldn't have a shred of optimism that they can find somebody to take him on. Few teams probably wanted to take on his money when he was with Colorado, and there was some upside. That number might be less now.
If the best-case scenario happens and the owners and players figure something out so the season starts on time, the Yankees should consider outright cutting McMahon before Spring Training starts. If that means swallowing up that entire $16 million deal without even having an official third baseman on the roster, then so be it.
Having Jose Caballero and Anthony Volpe in the mix at third base isn't great. Neither has hit at league average like McMahon, but the one thing they bring to the table is speed. Both are good at stealing a bag when they do reach base. It doesn't say much about where McMahon is when those two are clear upgrades.
3B search continues
At one point, McMahon did have some upside. Even now, his 90.5 mph average exit velocity and 44.8% hard-hit rate are somewhat intriguing, but if he can't even crack an OPS over .700, what does hitting the ball hard mean if there are a ton of empty plate appearances that equate to McMahon swinging out of his shoes and walking back to the dugout with nothing to show for it?
At this point, his ability to hit the ball hard—which, even that, has regressed—isn't even a selling point to any team. His time in New York should be over, and the search for a suitable third baseman should continue.
Outside of two years with Gio Urshela, nobody has been able to fill Alex Rodriguez's shoes properly following his retirement 11 years ago. McMahon certainly won't be that guy.
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