The New York Yankees have a few big decisions to make heading into the offseason and third base is one noteworthy position. MLB fans witnessed the Yankees acquiring Ryan McMahon in 2025 and viewing him as the answer at the position. McMahon was heralded for his great defense and ability to take advantage of the right field porch offensively in New York. Unfortunately, both failed him with woeful offense and disappointing defense in 2026.
Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman was asked about McMahon’s role and revealed the following about third base:
“We’ll look at it, without a doubt. We struggled there this year a little bit more than I would’ve expected. That doesn’t mean Ryan McMahon’s not capable of a lot more, too.
We acquired him and he had a positive impact in 2025 when we got him. 2026 wasn’t the same follow-up. I know he’s capable of a lot more. So we’ll see how this shakes out but we’re open minded to see what we can do to improve the overall club. He’s signed through next year.”
Cashman played both sides here by revealing he wants to see more from McMahon next season and discussing looking at all options. Most Yankees fans want a change at third base after McMahon joined Jazz Chisholm and Trent Grisham as the biggest disappointments of last season. Neither Grisham nor Chisholm is expected to return next season as free agents.
Why Brian Cashman Won’t Quit On Ryan McMahon
The vision of Cashman was to have at least one elite defensive infielder for a lackluster infield. McMahon added to the other issues of Chisholm regressing and George Lombard making many errors during his short stint at shortstop.
Next season could be even worse with DH Ben Rice moving to first base and two players moving from other players to play a new position. Luis Garcia and Anthony Volpe are expected to move from their respective positions to split time at second base.
McMahon at third base going back to his usual elite defense would be huge for the Yankees to have one trustworthy defender in the infield. However, the offense was so bad to make it a harder sell again. Aaron Judge made a comment about wanting more help next season, and starting McMahon would be a bad look there.
Yankees Unsure About Free Agent Targets
History has shown the Yankees as a top free agent threat through multiple eras, but they’ve been more budget centric in recent years. Re-signing Cody Bellinger, Judge, and acquiring Max Fried are some of the rare big moves to come this decade.
Otherwise, Cashman likes to target “under the radar” players and try to navigate a lineup with enough overall talent. The Yankees also have the pressure of winning now before Judge’s prime ends and while they have an elite pitching staff.
Re-signing David Bednar and making ideal bullpen decisions make up a top priority for the offseason. However, hitting should be just as important after last season’s struggles. Bringing back McMahon as the main starting third baseman just creates more doubt after he failed them last season.
Yankees Provide Update On Ryan McMahon’s Role Next Season