The New York Yankees have emerged as a potential contender to pursue Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm in free agency. Sara Molnick of Pinstripes Nation came up with the suggestion for the team.
The Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies in July 2025 primarily for his defense at third base.
McMahon’s bat never provided the expected offensive lift during his time in the Bronx.In 2026, McMahon batted .213 with 11 home runs, 41 RBIs and a .636 OPS across 124 games.
Statcast credited him with zero Outs Above Average, while Defensive Runs Saved rated him three runs below average.
He is owed $16 million in the final year of his contract, leaving the Yankees to consider a trade, a reduced role or another season of limited production.
Alec Bohm’s Contact Profile and RBI Production Stand Out
Bohm, a 30-year-old right-handed hitter and 2024 All-Star, finished the 2026 season with a .249 average, .315 on-base percentage and .383 slugging percentage. He hit 15 home runs and drove in 88 runs over 155 games, posting a .698 OPS and an 87 OPS+.
The former first-round pick is not viewed as a middle-of-the-order slugger, but he puts the ball in play and produces with runners aboard.
He was one of seven right-handed major league hitters with at least 85 RBIs in three of the previous four seasons.
Bohm owns a career .314 average and .825 OPS with runners in scoring position. That production is relevant for a Yankees lineup that has struggled to convert opportunities into postseason runs, as noted by owner Hal Steinbrenner.
Midseason Recovery and Defensive Tradeoffs Shape the Decision
Bohm’s full-season numbers masked a sharp turnaround after a poor start.
Through his first 35 games, he hit .159 with one home run and 15 RBIs. From May 9 onward, he batted .274 with a .340 on-base percentage and .433 slugging percentage, collecting 14 home runs and 73 RBIs over his final 120 games.
After the All-Star break, Bohm hit .298 with a .369 on-base percentage. His early struggles coincided with a lawsuit alleging financial mismanagement by his parents, a matter that was later settled. There is no established link between the dispute and his performance.
Defensively, Statcast rated Bohm at minus-11 Outs Above Average in 2026, including minus-8 at third base. That marked a decline from plus-5 in 2024 and minus-2 in 2025.
The free agent third-base market is thin, and the Phillies are unlikely to extend a $23.15 million qualifying offer to a player who produced 0.2 FanGraphs wins above replacement.
The Yankees could pair Bohm’s contact-oriented bat with McMahon’s late-inning defense while exploring other options such as utility player Jose Caballero or Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato.
Any pursuit of Bohm would require accepting defensive risk in exchange for a different offensive profile that better fits New York’s stated priorities.
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