Mark Feinsand of MLB.com made an article detailing where 14 different trade targets could land and who their best fits would be, with the Yankees being selected for two different players on the list.
Starting pitcher Freddy Peralta and third baseman Ryan McMahon were targeted as two players the Yankees could be excellent fits for, but are they the right fit for this team?
With the Yankees showing their cracks over the past week, this deadline will serve to be a vital one for the team’s World Series aspirations, and Brian Cashman knows that there are only so many years left of peak Aaron Judge.
Forming a Super Rotation With Freddy Peralta
The Milwaukee Brewers’ ace, Freddy Peralta has yet to make progress on another extension with the team, and they could be looking to trade the right-hander at this year’s deadline.
With a 2.60 ERA across 15 starts, Peralta has struck out 24.5% of batters faced with a 9.3% walk rate, limiting the home run ball more this year than he has in the last two seasons.
His four-seamer is sitting a career-high 94.8 MPH, generating elite vertical movement on that pitch relative to how high he releases the ball off of the ground.
Dating back to 2023, he is third among Major League starters in total strikeouts (494) while ranking in the top 15 in K-BB% (19.5%), and while he may not be a true ace, he would be an excellent Game 2 starter.
Given how good Carlos Rodon has been, these two would battle it out for the Game 2 or Game 3 nod, and as a right-handed pitcher, he could split the Yankees’ top two lefties up.
Pushing Clarke Schmidt into a Game 4 role would make this rotation devastating, as the former first-round pick has been one of the best pitchers in the American League this season in terms of ERA and Expected ERA.
An immediate hurdle for the Yankees here is that they would have to deal out of a farm system that ranks in the bottom half of baseball, whereas other teams vying for Peralta’s services will have more to offer.
I find it unlikely that Brian Cashman deals George Lombard Jr. for Freddy Peralta, as he can hit free agency following the 2026 season which means the Yankees only get 1.5 years of control for him.
Carlos Lagrange could be an attractive piece for the Brewers, but there isn’t another top-100 prospect the Yankees can offer in combination.
Perhaps they offer a position player on the roster, as Ben Rice could greatly appeal to a Brewers’ team that needs offense badly and isn’t entirely out of it.
If the Yankees want a starter at the deadline, Freddy Peralta might be their best bet to land a frontline pitcher, but his asking price will be large for a reason.
READ MORE: Yankees demote bullpen arm after extremely brief promotion
Can Ryan McMahon Solve the Yankees’ Infield Issues?
An extremely talented defender at third base, Ryan McMahon would seriously improve the team’s infield defense and allow Jazz Chisholm to move back to second base where he’s a better defensive player.
Dating back to 2023, McMahon is top three in both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average, and while his bat has never been above-average, this year he’s showing serious signs of growth at the plate.
His raw power is unreal, and there’s reason to believe the Yankees could unlock more in his swing since he’s coming from a bottom-barrel franchise like the Rockies.
McMahon’s xwOBA grades out in the 79th Percentile, a massive uptick from recent seasons, as he’s walking a lot and hitting the ball incredibly hard.
The 30-year-old has seen his bat speed increase by ~2 MPH, and with elite-level quality of contact he could be a massive home run threat with the short porch in Yankee Stadium.
Ryan McMahon is pulling the ball in the air more than he has in previous seasons, and with him pacing for over 3.0 fWAR this season, he could be a massive upgrade over DJ LeMahieu.
The Yankees could use some more power and plate discipline in their offense because every team should be targeting those traits in a hitter, but there are some drawbacks here.
First, a hitter without Coors Field could be due for massive regression, and secondly I’m not sure about taking on the remaining years of his extension.
McMahon is owed $16 million in both 2026 and 2027, and the Yankees would be on the hook for that money instead of the $11.6 million charged to the Rockies because you re-calculate the AAV for the remaining years of the deal once a player is traded.
This could make the prospect haul needed to acquire him less severe, and with the aforementioned raw power and plate discipline, he could be a player worth targeting for a smart front office who likes his skillset.
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