The New York Yankees finally have a third baseman, with Ryan McMahon coming to the Bronx from the Colorado Rockies. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand was first with the news. The Rockies, per ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, will receive minor league pitchers Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz, the Yankees’ No. 8 and 21 prospects.
McMahon, 30, has spent his entire career in Colorado since debuting in 2017. He’s only a .240 career hitter and batting an awful .217 this season. McMahon has never posted a wRC+ above 97. Meanwhile, the Yankees are taking on the remainder of his contract. $4.5 million remaining this season and $16 million a year through 2027. Quite the risk for someone who was a below average hitter even in Coors Field, isn’t it?
Well, here’s where there might be some of what Yankees general manager Brian Cashman loves the most: Upside! McMahon has 140 career home runs and has hit well the past six weeks. He’s batting .241 with ten home runs and an .819 OPS since June 7. His lefty bat plus Yankee Stadium’s short porch could be a change of scenery match made in baseball heaven.
In the field, McMahon provides some left-side-of-the-infield defense that New York desperately needs. He has a +4 defensive runs saved (DRS) this season and +64 for his career at the hot corner. His fielding run value (FRV) at third is +34. The Yankees haven’t had this strong a fielder at third base since…maybe Todd Frazier? Go back any further and it’s probably Scott Brosius. Point being, McMahon is both a lefty power bat with potential and already has a strong glove.
As in, Yankees fans, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Better yet, the Yankees gave up next to nothing in the deal. The lefty Herring was a 6th round pick out of LSU last season and has a 1.71 ERA as a starter for Tampa and Hudson Valley in A-Ball this season. He’s managed 10.3 K/9, but doesn’t have much of a fastball and also needs to develop a third pitch he can lean on besides his biting slider. Herring is also still just 22 years old, so there’s plenty of time for him to develop.
Grosz, by comparison, is a former 11th round pick drafted out of East Carolina in 2023. He too has worked primarily as a starter at Hudson Valley this season, but has struggled to a 4.14 ERA. He has plus fastball velocity in the mid-90s and can sometimes ride it as high as 98. His slider is developing well along with his changeup.
It thus seems likely that McMahon will make his Bronx debut on Saturday against the Phillies. The Yankees clearly see enough in him that they’re comfortable taking on the rest of his hefty contract. Between the fielding, lefty bat, and short porch? Worth the risk, especially given the lack of a clear successor down on the farm.
Now, let’s just hope this trade works out better than the Josh Donaldson trade.
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