It was a foregone conclusion that the New York Yankees were going to make moves in the Major League Baseball trade market. Notable names such as Eugenio Suarez, Oneil Cruz, Zac Gallen and Merril Kelly had been placed on the Bombers’ agenda, but finally general manager Brian Cashman has taken another direction
The first trade of the season for Aaron Boone’s team is none other than third baseman Ryan McMahon, a 30-year-old player with nine seasons of experience with the Colorado Rockies. In exchange, the Yankees will send pitchers Griffin Herring (left) and Josh Grosz (right) to Denver
Herring is the eighth-ranked prospect in the Yankees’ farm system and has been impressive this season, with a 1.71 ERA in 16 starts across the various Minor League levels. Grosz, meanwhile, has worked for 4.14 in Class-A over 16 trips to the mound
With this move, the Yankees strengthen third base, a position in which they had set their sights on Eugenio Suarez, one of the top home run hitters in the National League. The third baseman is one of the most coveted pieces on the market, but it seems that the New Yorkers would have had to give up several high-caliber prospects to acquire the Venezuelan
Faced with this situation, Cashman and the management decided to take another direction because of the serious problems they have had at the hot corner in 2025.
The Yankees’ third base crisis
McMahon’s overall numbers in 2025 are not significant. In fact, his batting average is .214 and his OPS is .717, not to mention that he is the most strikeout hitter (127 times) in the National League. However, since last June 7, his offensive line has improved considerably, with slugging of .504, OPS of .819 and ten home runs in 39 games played to leave his totals at 16 homers and 35 RBIs
In this span, almost half of his hits (16 of 33) have been extra-base hits, while he has driven in 18 runs and scored 19 with Colorado, a team with obvious shortcomings in all aspects of the game
This could be a good sign for the Yankees, who have not had much luck with their third basemen this season. A total of five players have passed through the position this year and between them they exhibit discreet statistics: a batting average of .214, OPS of .645, 11 home runs and 40 RBIs
The worst thing is that all the Yankees’ third basemen (Jazz Chisholm Jr., Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera and Pablo Reyes) in 2025 have committed a total of 18 errors. The only one who has been saved so far is Jorbit Vivas, who has not made any errors in 21 chances at the position
The contrast with McMahon in this regard is very noticeable, because the Colorado player has only committed six errors in 276 plays at third base. His defensive average is excellent (.978), with 195 assists and 15 double plays.
The doubts with McMahon
Despite his undeniable defensive qualities, Ryan McMahon generates doubts among Yankees fans because most of his offensive success has come at Coors Field, the renowned hitter’s paradise in Colorado. In reality, the third baseman has been very earthly on the road, as the statistics show
- At Coors Field: 88 home runs and 186 extra-base hits in 517 games, with a .263/.343/.476/.818 slash line
- In other MLB stadiums: 52 home runs and 132 extra-base hits in 493 games, with a .216/.302/.362/.664 slash line
The difference is very obvious and this is a concern, but writer Darragh McDonald has left an illustrative explanation in MLB Trade Rumors to reassure New York fans
“At first glance, his statistics may suggest that he only hits in Denver and will crumble in a new jersey. The truth is probably more nuanced. Pitches move differently at altitude (Colorado) than at sea level (the rest of the ballparks) due to differences in resistance or drag. It is noteworthy that breaking balls move less in Denver than in other parks, so it is difficult for Colorado hitters to constantly adjust while playing away and at home,” he said
This is no small detail, because now McMahon will be permanently away from Coors Field and will be able to adapt to the rotation and movement of breaking pitches in the rest of the Major League ballparks. With the right adjustments, he can improve and stabilize his performance in these new environments
The Yankees are confident that McMahon will be able to adjust to the new circumstances, just as another player who was traded from Colorado to New York did some time ago: DJ LeMahieu. The difference in LeMahieu’s numbers between Coors Field and the rest of the ballparks was also noticeable when he moved to the Bombers, but in his first seasons in the Big Apple he had a tremendous impact, including the offensive title and the Silver Slugger in 2020.
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