The New York Yankees have looked like one of the best teams in baseball this year. Despite a rough stretch, they still have World Series aspirations.
The Yankees' infield could benefit from an upgrade. DJ LeMahieu has been the Yankees' primary second baseman, but has been underwhelming both offensively and defensively. His playing at second base is also hurting the Yankees at third base. Jazz Chishoolm Jr. has been playing third base, but he is not the best defender there. The Yankees could acquire a third baseman at the trade deadline to move Chisholm back to second base and LeMahieu to the bench.
LeMahieu is slashing .248/.322/.330 this year. He was once an MVP-caliber player for the Yankees, but it has become clear that his time as a starter with the Yankees needs to end. CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson tabbed the Yankees as a landing spot for Ryan McMahon of the Colorado Rockies.
"McMahon is on the wrong side of 30 and has just two more seasons remaining on his contract, suggesting the Rockies would be wise to act now, lest they miss out on their window to get a quality return," wrote Anderson.
McMahon signed a six-year, $70 million deal in 2022. He was an All-Star last season and has hit at least 2-0 home runs in every full season since 2019. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he hit nine home runs in 52 games. He would slot in as the everyday third baseman on the Yankees.
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McMahon is slashing .220/.322/.394. His numbers may not look like much of an upgrade over LeMahieu's, but his OPS is 63 points higher. Additionally, his defense at third base is better than Chisholm's. Chisholm is slashing .318/.379/.600 since his return from the injured list. The Yankees could see the best version of him if he were playing second base and making a bigger impact as a defender.
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