The New York Yankees don't really have any answers at third base.
The New York Yankees would surely love to move on from Ryan McMahon at third base. The problem is, they might not be able to.
Yes, the Yankees have shown indications that McMahon is on the hot seat, particularly earlier this week when Aaron Boone revealed that Anthony Volpe would be getting some time at the hot corner.
But McMahon's $16 million salary for 2027 is a problem. And so is the fact that there really aren't many enticing third base options slated to be available this winter.
Have you taken a look at the free-agent class? It isn't great.
Bo Bichette can opt out of his contract with the New York Mets, and while his bat is obviously intriguing, he is an unmitigated disaster defensively.
Alec Bohm? Definitely not. Yoan Moncada? I definitely don't think so.
Sure, the Yankees can explore the trade market, but who will be out there? The San Diego Padres could, in theory, try to move Manny Machado, but he is 34 years old, owns a .713 OPS this season and is under contract at $39 million annually through 2033.
There is no way the Yankees are taking on that deal, nor should they.
I suppose New York could try and swing trade for Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams and move him to the hot corner, but the cost would be extravagant, and much like Bichette, Abrams is horrendous defensively.
Now, one potential option is 27-year-old Japanese star Teruaki Sato, who is expected to be posted by the Hanshin Tigers this winter. But it's been a while since the Yankees landed a top Japanese player, and Sato is likely to land a massive contract. One that Hal Steinbrenner may not be too amenable to providing.
Make no mistake: New York needs to make a change at third base. This just might not be the offseason where it happens.
McMahon is under contract for one more year. It's possible the Yanks will just platoon McMahon with someone else at the hot corner in 2027 and then try and better remedy the problem once he comes off the books.
It also depends on what the Yankees do at second base this offseason. Assuming they let Jazz Chisholm walk, Luis Arraez is a possibility. In that case, New York could potentially roll with a McMahon/Volpe platoon at third if Volpe proves he can handle the position.
There is also the possibility that the Yankees install Volpe as their starting second baseman next spring and use Jose Caballero as an alternative to McMahon.
None of those directions are particularly appealing, but it might just be what New York has to do for now.
