Trade Idea Has Yankees Acquiring $70M All-Star Infielder in Intriguing Move

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Trade idea has Yankees acquiring Ryan McMahon.

The New York Yankees are one of the top teams in the MLB and are expected to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline.

One area of need for the Yankees is third base, and New York could look to address it through the trade market. A trade proposal from Heavy.com sees the Yankees acquiring Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies.

Yankees acquire:

Ryan McMahon

Rockies acquire:

Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
Henry Lalane

The proposed deal would see New York acquire McMahon to solidify the third base position in exchange for two top-10 prospects. Colorado needs all the prospects it can get, and moving on from McMahon at the deadline seems likely.

New York would solidify the third base position by acquiring McMahon, who’s in the fourth year of his six-year, $70 million deal, so New York would have him for two more seasons after 2025. McMahon was an All-Star in 2024, and this season, he’s hitting .225 with 12 home runs and 25 RBIs. The 30-year-old is also a solid defender, which has been an issue for the Yankees this season and last.

In return, the Yankees would trade away Rodriguez-Cruz, who’s the team’s sixth-ranked prospect. The right-hander is projected to reach the majors in 2027 and was acquired from the Boston Red Sox last December. Rodriguez-Cruz is 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 12 games, including 11 starts in A+ this season.

New York would also trade their ninth-ranked prospect in Lalane. The left-hander has struggled in A this season, as he’s 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 3 starts. Lalane signed with the Yankees as an International Free Agent in 2021 and is projected to reach the majors in 2027.

Yankees Have Been Linked to McMahon

With New York having a clear need at third base, McMahon’s name has come up in trade talks.

MLB insider Mark Feinsand of MLB.com links the Yankees to McMahon ahead of the trade deadline.

“The Rockies had hoped for McMahon to be part of their core when they turned things around, but Colorado appears to be far away from that point, making McMahon a potential trade chip,” Feinsand wrote. “The 30-year-old has turned things around following a sluggish start, while ranking in the top 10 percent of the league this season in average exit velocity, hard-hit percentage and walk percentage.

“A stellar defensive third baseman, McMahon is signed for $12 million in 2025 and $16 million in each of the next two seasons. Potential fits: Brewers, Tigers, Twins, Yankees,” McMahon added.

With the Rockies at a league-worst 17-60 record, it does seem likely Colorado will trade McMahon.

Yankees GM Admits Trades Are Hard to Pull Off

Although New York has a clear need at third base and pitching, general manager Brian Cashman isn’t sure the team will make a move.

Instead, ahead of the trade deadline, Cashman gave a bleak update, reminding fans it’s hard to make trades happen.

“We’ll see. It’s hard to make improvements this part of the season,” Cashman said to the New York Post. “We’ve got what we’ve got. We’ll assess it and move forward with opportunities as they start to present themselves at whatever positions they do… If we can improve on things, we’ll try to do that, as well.”

The Yankees are atop the AL East with a record of 45-32.

Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton