Yankees trade idea brings $70 million infielder to New York

Aaliyan Mohammed

Yankees trade idea brings $70 million infielder to New York image

The New York Yankees made a major change to their infield this week. The team moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base and DJ LeMahieu to the bench.

With LeMahieu on the bench, Oswald Peraza figures to see most of the work at third base. His OPS is below .500 and Aaron Boone made it clear that LeMahieu will stay on the bench and cannot play third base. Sports Illustrated's Karl Rasmussen suggested the Yankees could target Ryan McMahon of the Colorado Rockies.

"Ryan McMahon is another option the Yankees could look into at third base," wrote Rasmussen. "The Rockies veteran is a great defender and has put up solid numbers at the plate in his career, though he's certainly benefited from playing at Coors Field. McMahon has an .813 OPS at home in his career versus a .665 on the road. Still, he's a left-handed hitter who has hit 20 or more home runs in five of the previous six seasons, and he could be a nice addition at the deadline for the Yankees."

McMahon has been linked in rumors with the Yankees since the offseason. He is under club control through 2027 after signing a six-year, $70 million deal in 2022.

He is a solid defender and would allow Peraza to serve as a utility defender off the bench. However, in that scenario, the Yankees would have even less need for LeMahieu on the roster.

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The Yankees' infield defense earned praise from Boone after their Tuesday night game. It was their first game with Chisholm back at second base. If they could get a player like McMahon, their infield defense would stay strong while adding some extra power to the lineup.

More MLB: Yankees could reunite with former starter after DJ LeMahieu benching

Aaliyan Mohammed

Aaliyan Mohammed is a sports journalist who graduated from Mississippi State University. He covered MLB prospects for MLB.com. He has also spent time covering the Green Bay Packers as well as college sports in the SEC. His work features interviews with Gilbert Brown, Andre Rison, Mike Leach and multiple MLB executives.