Ryan McMahon Trade Rumor Puts More Pressure on Brian Cashman to Find 3B Solution

If the Yankees do part ways with McMahon, they need to find a viable answer at the hot corner.

It seems like it's only a matter of time before the New York Yankees part ways with Ryan McMahon this offseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Earlier this week at the league’s annual GM Meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters that rebuilding the team’s bullpen is the club’s main priority.

On paper, that makes sense since the team has several relievers hitting free agency, and isn’t guaranteed to get them all back. However, Yankees fans would also tell Cashman that third base should be a priority too, which was an albatross due to Ryan McMahon’s play on the field and at the plate.

The Yankees know third base is an issue, but deciding how to fix it isn’t simple. That said, New York is already taking the first step, and that’s to find a suitor for McMahon.

On Friday morning, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the 32-year-old infielder is on the trade block. Heyman adds that for a deal to happen, the Yankees will “pay down his $16M salary or take a bad contract back.”

Ideally, the Yankees would pay down the salary rather than take a bad deal in a potential trade for McMahon. However, beggars can’t be choosers. It won’t be easy trying to find a suitor for the veteran. But with the free-agent market not overwhelmingly great at third base, it could work to the Yankees’ favor.

Yankees must do whatever it takes to find an upgrade at third base

That said, once the Yankees part ways with McMahon, they need to find a solution at the hot corner immediately.

One solution could be Alec Bohm, whom the Yankees are reportedly interested in. The free agent infielder can play third and first base and is coming off an up-and-down 2026 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

As one could imagine, Bohm donning the pinstripes doesn’t inspire much confidence, even though he’d be a right-handed bat, which would balance New York’s left-handed-dominant lineup. In 2026, he hit .292 with seven home runs, 38 RBI, and a .816 OPS against southpaws.

However, he wasn’t great defensively, sporting a .966 fielding percentage, eight errors, and a -10 Defensive Runs Saved Above Average.

That said, if you ask Yankee fans who they really want at third base, they’d say Japanese star Teruaki Sato, who is coming off a Triple Crown season with the Hanshin Tigers. But as Jack Curry said on The Michael Kay Show last week, the Yankees “have some pause about his ability to be a third baseman at the major league level."

And on top of that, scouts told USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale that Sato “will likely play the outfield if he signs with an MLB team” (h/t FOX Sports MLB). We can likely rule out Sato in the Big Apple.

Where does that ultimately leave the Yankees? The trade market. Do they pursue a trade for Isaac Paredes of the Houston Astros? He would be an ideal right-handed power bat, with 25 home runs and 94 RBI in 2026.

If not Paredes, would they go after Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers, which would require him to move to third base since the Yankees already have George Lombard Jr..

There are a lot of different avenues Cashman can go down to solve third base, but he needs to pick the right one because the Yankees can’t be in this spot again next year.

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