Yankees' Reported Interest in Alec Bohm Is a Colossal Mistake

It's no secret that the Yankees have a third base problem.

Ryan McMahon's first full season in pinstripes was a disaster, as his already mediocre offense completely cratered and his renowned defense was not as advertised. The Yankees are also set to pay him $16 million for 2027 because no team will want to take on McMahon's contract in a trade.

Despite this, the Yankees' early approach to addressing their issues at the hot corner is nothing short of baffling. Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato is by far the best available third baseman in free agency, yet the Yankees are reportedly out on him due to concerns about his defense and/or plate discipline.

At the same time, the Bronx Bombers are "looking closely" at fellow free agent Alec Bohm, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Bohm, 30, seems to be the second-best third baseman available. However, this is because the 3B market is extremely thin; in a more robust market, Bohm wouldn't be anywhere close to being a top option.

The Yankees should avoid Alec Bohm at all costs

Outside of a 3.3 fWAR season in 2024, Bohm has been frustratingly inconsistent on both sides of the ball throughout his seven-year career. His 2026 season was mediocre at best, as Bohm recorded a mere 0.2 fWAR in 155 games.

Bohm's offense isn't exactly elite, as his peak production saw him record three straight seasons with a wRC+ higher than 100 (the league average) from 2023 to 2025, topping out at 112 in 2024. 2026 was not one of those seasons, as Bohm recorded a below-average 90 wRC+ by slashing .249/.315/.383 in 629 plate appearances.

Far more concerning is Bohm's defense at third, which is arguably the worst in MLB. Across 907.2 innings in 2026, he registered a Fielding Run Value of -6 (per Baseball Savant) alongside -10 Defensive Runs Saved. Bohm was ineffective at first base too, with a -3 FRV in 424.2 innings there. His total FRV of -9 this past season ranks in the fourth percentile of all qualified major leaguers. Bohm's defense doesn't exactly pass the eye test, either.

Jared Triolo gives the Pirates an 8-3 lead with a little help from an Alec Bohm error pic.twitter.com/O2rzDML7rh
— Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) May 16, 2026

To his credit, Bohm has been great against left-handed pitching in his career, hitting .302/.351/.503 with a 130 wRC+ in those matchups. That production remained in 2026, as Bohm slashed a respectable .292/.333/.483 and hit eight of his 15 homers against southpaws. Nonetheless, his poor production against righties (both in his career and in 2026) and the aforementioned awful defense outweigh this strength.

Even with all these red flags, the Yankees may have an even worse idea regarding their use of Bohm if they sign him.

Potential Ryan McMahon-Alec Bohm platoon would be a disaster

Because of Bohm's lefty-righty splits, the Yankees may get the idea of keeping McMahon and platooning the two players at third base. However, they already tried this with Amed Rosario over the past season, and it didn't go well at all for two reasons.

The first reason is combined play in the field. While McMahon's defense noticeably regressed in 2026, he was still the far superior defender compared to Rosario, who actively cost the Yankees games with awful defense.

The second reason is that McMahon isn't a productive hitter regardless of which side he faces. The 32-year-old veteran has a 94 wRC+ against right-handers in his career, and hit just .218/.278/.384 with an 84 wRC+ in 2026. Against lefties, McMahon is effectively unplayable (50 wRC+ in 2026, 71 wRC+ in his career).

Adding Bohm does nothing to solve either of these issues. His production against lefties is offset by McMahon's lack of production in general, and Bohm's defense is comparable to that of Rosario. Combined with McMahon's defense getting worse as he ages, a Bohm-McMahon platoon is the equivalent of taking over $20 million and setting it on fire.

"That's 20+ million dollars for below-average production."@ChrisKirschner thinks it would be a "disaster" if the Yankees brought in Alec Bohm to platoon with Ryan McMahon. pic.twitter.com/lAk1zaXIUV
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) November 11, 2026

The most confusing part about the Yankees' interest in Bohm is that they are seemingly ignoring his red flags, but see Teruaki Sato's concerns as a dealbreaker. This likely has to do with the fact that Sato is looking for a long-term deal while Bohm figures to settle for a short-term contract. Regardless, Sato is three years younger, has a far superior offensive track record (even if it came in NPB instead of MLB), and his defense isn't nearly as difficult to watch as Bohm's.

Even if the Yankees are looking for third basemen, as they should, Bohm is not even close to being the solution to their problems. The Bronx Bombers need to start looking in a different direction if they want that solution.

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