Can Yankees Improve Lineup and Trade Ryan McMahon?

But one move stuck out from that episode, so let’s expand upon it.

Trading Ryan McMahon

Conceptually, the move for Ryan McMahon made a ton of sense for the Yankees last summer. They were in dire need of positive value out of third base, especially defensively. The latter was pretty much all McMahon offered in 54 games, as his 84 wRC+ ranked 17th among AL third baseman with 100 or more plate appearances after his debut.

He hit four homers and drove in 18, but the glove was most of his value.

Right now, FanGraphs projects an infield alignment of McMahon, José Caballero, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Ben Rice. It’s fine, especially on the right side, but it’s a far cry from the left sides we’re used to seeing on great Yankees rosters.

But McMahon doesn’t have a ton of value, especially with two years and $32 remaining on his deal. However, if the Yankees eat $10 million of his contract, that becomes two years at $11 million Average Annual Value. As a result, it’s a much more enticing contract for a good defensive third baseman with power.

Proposed Deal: Ryan McMahon and $10 million cash to the Los Angeles Angels for right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn

The Angels have a lot of uncertainty on their infield in 2026 and beyond. Last year’s team brought us Christian Moore at second base, and this offseason they acquired Vaughn Grissom from Boston. However, they’re likely losing Yoán Moncada and Luis Rengifo in free agency.

There was rumored interest in Nolan Arenado for the Angels, but the eight-time All-Star is now an Arizona Diamondback. As a result, improving the third base position becomes harder.

The Yankees in return get Ryan Zeferjahn, a right-hander who once looked like a rising star in the Angels bullpen. However, in his first full season in MLB, the 27-year-old had a 4.74 ERA and allowed 1.9 homers per nine innings across 62 appearances. He’ll also walk you if you let him, as he walked nearly one batter for every two he struck out.

That said, Zeferjahn averages 97.5 mph on his fastball and his sweeper is electric. His fastball also way underperformed expected data, with a .354 wOBA versus .299 expected.

The Yankees have a history taking toolsy relievers and unlocking their full potential. With Devin Williams, Mark Leiter Jr., and Luke Weaver all official departures, they need to replace the production.

Replacing McMahon

This part of the move gets a little tricky. Jack McMullen and Peter Appel gave two subsequent moves to the McMahon trade in our Playing GM episode. Unfortunately, one was Bregman and the other option was Bichette.

The market for infield help at this juncture is barren, with the headlining middle infielder might be Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Third base is headlined by Eugenio Suárez, but there’s enough swing-and-miss in the Yankees lineup as it is.

So, how can they replace McMahon?

Option 1: Luis Arráez

This is a stark overcorrection from a recent run of profiles that have burned the Yankees. In 2021, they traded for Joey Gallo. Gallo was a versatile defender with elite power and a strong knowledge of the strike zone but a massive whiff issue. In 2025, McMahon was the target; a versatile defender with power, good knowledge of the strike zone but a massive whiff issue.

Luis Arráez is the antithesis: a slap-hitter with no defensive upside, nor command of the strike zone. He swings a lot, but he hits a lot. Even in a season he had a 104 wRC+, he hit .292 with 61 runs batted in.

He hasn’t played third base since 2022, when he had -7 outs above average in 40.2 innings — not a typo — and his second base defense is also checkered to say the least. Obviously, there’s no real opportunity for him at first base unless they want to hide Rice from tough southpaws, but he’s still a productive bat even if a low value player.

Here’s a projected lineup, assumed right-handed starter, if the Yankees sign Arráez to a one-year deal:

Part of this move is buying time for top infield prospect George Lombard Jr. The 20-year-old played 108 games in Double-A last year but had just a 111 wRC+ and struck out 26.4% of the time. If there’s one thing the Yankees can stand to learn from Volpe, who should be back around May, it’s the beauty of patience.

Don’t make the same mistake with Lombard, especially with uncertainty surrounding Chisholm’s long-term future.

Option 2: Yoán Moncada

Another defensive question mark, but more offensive upside than Arraez.

Yoán Moncada played 84 games last season for the Angels, slashing .234/.336/.448 with a 117 wRC+ and 12 home runs. Unfortunately, it was another year rife with injuries for the 30-year-old.

Since breaking out in 2019, he’s played 130 games just once, 2021. That year he had a .375 on-base with a 120 wRC+ and 3.7 fWAR. He’s generally a good baseball player when he’s actually playing baseball. That’s just not a given for the switch-hitter out of Cuba.

Moncada’s Pull Air rate in 2025 was 26.3%, making his lefty swing a potential dream fit in the Bronx.

Here’s a potential lineup for the Yankees with Moncada:

Moncada is a gamble the Yankees can afford. After all, Volpe should be back in May. Not to mention Caballero is a versatile defender, as is Chisholm, as is Rosario. The Yankees also signed Paul DeJong to a minor-league deal this offseason.

So, in theory, they’ve already injury-proofed themselves should a more significant acquisition go down.

Option 3: Adam Frazier

Adam Frazier sneakily had a productive post-deadline run with the Kansas City Royals in 2025. In 56 games, he hit .283/.320/.402 with four homers, 0.6 fWAR, and 23 runs batted in.

He’s not an elite-level player and hasn’t really been since his brief stretch of success with the Pirates in the late-2010s. However, he’s a veteran who knows his way around a tough at-bat. He’s also a versatile defender, with burn at second, third, and corner outfield last season. At second base, he was worth three outs above average in 601 innings.

His Pull Air rate isn’t quite to Moncada’s level, but still a respectable 19.8 percent. Ever since 2022, Frazier’s lived around a 19% Pull Air, he’s just never been in a ballpark conducive to that approach. He won’t be hitting 20 homers for the Yankees, but can he run into somewhere between 10 and 12? Absolutely.

Here’s a lineup with Frazier:

By the time Volpe is back, Frazier can settle into a super-utility role and spell players in need of a day off at several positions.

None of these moves are sexy, but all three hit better than McMahon did with the Yankees in 2025. They’ll also be much cheaper in all likelihood than paying McMahon the full $16 million in 2026. So, to get a young and controllable reliever with nasty stuff, plus a tough at bat to hit in the six- or seven-hole, the Yankees can improve their lineup, and team, with minimal financial burden.