The New York Yankees could make a surprising decision on veteran infielder Ryan McMahon before the playoffs.
New York clinched a playoff berth. They will likely be in the Wild Card series again, likely playing the Boston Red Sox for the second year in a row.
The Yankees are 88-64.
New York Yankees Could Bench Ryan McMahon
With the Yankees heading back to the playoffs, New York could have to make a difficult decision on veteran infielder Ryan McMahon.
McMahon is a solid glove-first third baseman, but he has struggled offensively since coming to New York. With that, Yankees analyst Pat Ragazzo of FanSided believes New York could remove McMahon from its playoff roster, or simply have him on the bench.
“Should Rosario’s hot streak continue into the end of the regular season, the Yankees find a way to utilize him at third base during the postseason,” Ragazzo wrote. “There’s even a world where Jose Caballero slides to third, with Anthony Volpe available off the bench. McMahon will probably still get a roster spot, but they cannot play his bat regularly in the biggest games of the year. McMahon’s bat creates a black hole in the Yankees’ lineup, which they cannot afford to deploy in October.
“If not for his defense, McMahon would’ve likely been designated for assignment by now. And given his historically poor offensive numbers, it seems like it could be headed that way with McMahon under contract for another year at $16 million. The 31-year-old just has not worked out as a member of the Yankees. His time in pinstripes should come to an end sooner rather than later.”
McMahon has one more year on his six-year, $70 million deal. Not having him on the playoff roster would be a tough look. Yet, his bat has struggled, and the Yankees could use Caballero at third, with Volpe as the primary backup infielder in the playoffs.
McMahon is hitting .210 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs this season.
New York Right Now
The Yankees have clinched a playoff spot and once again have World Series aspirations.
Although New York did clinch a playoff spot, the Yankees know the job is not done.
“Every year you go through a lot, it seems like. But we’ve been through a lot this year with injuries, with adversity,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “But credit to them for coming together. Through all the ups and downs, they’ve been a together group. I feel like they’ve developed a lot of grit over the season.”
The Yankees are set to begin a three-game road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday.
New York Yankees $70M Infielder Handed Harsh Take Ahead of Playoffs