Getty Ryan McMahon
The New York Yankees made a big splash in the MLB trade deadline season on Saturday, July 27 when they landed Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins in a trade for three prospects. Then on Sunday, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported New York “would love” to add Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon.
Chisholm started in centerfield on Sunday in his Yankees debut against the Boston Red Sox, but the team revealed he would play a variety of positions, including third base. That would leave second base — his former position — open for Gleyber Torres, who has endured a rough season but is hitting .350 over his last 10 games.
If the Yankees plan to keep Torres and start him every day, moving Chisholm to third makes sense. But it’s not his natural position.
“The Yankees would love to get their hands on McMahon and play him at third base,” Nightengale wrote. “He’s an All-Star and is having a monster season. But sorry, the Rockies love him, he’s under contract for three more years, and they’re not even listening to offers for him.”
Whether the Yankees can pull off a trade for someone the Rockies have no interest in dealing is secondary to the Yankees’ desire to find another third baseman. It signals the Yankees’ hope not to have Torres and DJ LeMahieu in the lineup every day.
Ryan McMahon and the Yankees’ Third Base Pursuit
If the Yankees actually want to pry McMahon from the Rockies, they’ll have to put together an overwhelming offer, and it’s not likely the Yankees will do that. They seem willing to deal their top two prospects, Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones, but have generally opted against trading the whole farm in the past.
If the Yankees land another third baseman, that would keep Chisholm where he’s more comfortable: second base or centerfield. Center could get tough, however, with Giancarlo Stanton expected to come off the Injured List on Monday, July 29. Stanton would fill the DH spot, forcing Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Alex Verdugo into the outfield.
This would relegate Torres, LeMahieu, and Oswaldo Cabrera to lesser roles, and the Yankees can’t realistically carry all three. Torres is a free agent at the end of the year and could be traded amid what has been a turbulent season for him at the plate and in the field.
Torres could also bounce around the infield; he has 252 career games of experience at shortstop, and he could help his cause majorly if he expresses a willingness to play third, decreasing New York’s urgency to acquire someone else. But, about that…
Gleyber Torres Does Not Want to Play Third Base
Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch asked Torres about possibly playing third base and he did not seem open to the idea.
“I’m a second baseman,” Torres said. “I play second.”
Torres added that he saw some time at third in the Minor Leagues.
“I don’t like it,” he said, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “It was just an opportunity to play in the big leagues faster at that moment. Just do everything possible to help the team in that moment.”
Torres committed another error at second base Sunday night against the Red Sox to bring his season total to 13 — the most in baseball at that position.
Manager Aaron Boone expressed hope that Torres would be willing to take ground balls at third, but if that doesn’t happen, it puts the Yankees in a tough spot. Torres is making $14.2 million in his contract year, making him tradable in the sort of deal that might involve a lot of salary changing hands.
With the trade deadline one day away, the Yankees are running out of time to sort this out.