New York Yankees Eyeing Controversial Third Base Solution

The New York Yankees will almost certainly not be heading into 2027 with Ryan McMahon as their starting third baseman, but who can they get to replace him?

The options in free agency are rather slim, and while the trade market could offer some possibilities, there still isn't a whole lot there.

But the Yankees need to do something at the hot corner, and Jon Heyman of The New York Post has reported that they are eyeing free agent Alec Bohm as a possibility.

Bohm has spent the first seven years of his big-league career with the Philadelphia Phillies and is coming off of a 2026 campaign in which he posted a .698 OPS, homering 15 times with 88 RBI over 629 plate appearances.

The 29-year-old was significantly better after the All-Star break, when he slashed .298/.369/.425, but that doesn't change the fact that Bohm has been a tremendous disappointment.

Bohm was originally selected by the Phillies with the third overall pick of the 2018 MLB Draft and was expected to provide the team with a potent middle-of-the-order bat.

Instead, Bohm has been a pedestrian offensive threat, owning a lifetime .273/.325/.410 slash line while playing poor defense at third base.

So why would the Yankees want Bohm then?

Well, he would certainly comprise an upgrade over McMahon, and it should be noted that Bohm has mashed lefties to the tune of a .302/.351/.503 slash line in his career.

In theory, New York could platoon Bohm with either McMahon (unless the Yankees dump him) or someone like Anthony Volpe or Jose Caballero at third.

Relying on Bohm as the full-time option at third base will almost certainly elicit frustration considering how maddeningly inconsistent Bohm has been throughout his big-league tenure.

Again, the problem is that the Yankees don't really have a ton of options otherwise, unless they want to swing a trade for someone like Josh Jung or Royce Lewis.

Bohm could possibly be had on an affordable one-year contract, which is surely another major factor in New York's reported interest.

But would the addition of Bohm, a right-handed bat who wouldn't really play to Yankee Stadium's strengths, be an exciting move for the Bronx Bombers. Absolutely not.

It's still very early in the offseason, so there is time for the Yankees to get this figured out. Then again, with a lockout looming in three weeks, New York might be up against the clock more than it usually would.