Not every big move is created equally. Sometimes necessity meets opportunity, and you get the ideal scenario for a deal, something we recently saw with Cody Bellinger and an agreement to return to the Bronx that made too much sense for every party involved. Other times, as a team like the Dodgers has routinely shown, a big market club can and should take advantage of opportunities that present themselves to upgrade their roster with an unexpected maneuver.<\/p>\n
The best available bat on the market is Eugenio Su\u00e1rez, and if we scroll through his likeliest suitors on any number of lists currently out there, the Yankees won\u2019t feature. But if we stop and think about it, should that really be the case?<\/p>\n
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2025 Statistics:\u00a0159 games, 657 PA, .228\/.298\/.526, 49 HR, 118 RBI, 125 wRC+, -3 Outs Above Average, 3.8 fWAR<\/p>\n
2026 FanGraphs Depth Charts Projections:\u00a0147 games, 637 PA, .230\/.306\/.449, 33 HR, 89 RBI, 108 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR<\/p>\n
As things currently stand, the Yankees will start the season with Ryan McMahon as the team\u2019s primary third baseman. McMahon is, by all accounts, a solid player and a better defender than Su\u00e1rez, but still a below league-average hitter\u2014that\u2019s not even contemplating a comparison with Su\u00e1rez, one of the better power bats in the big leagues over the last five seasons. In the most basic of analyses, there shouldn\u2019t be a situation in which the Yankees completely exclude themselves from checking in on what would be a significant improvement to their lineup.<\/p>\n
If we start to peel back the layers a little more, you have the potential advantages of using McMahon as a depth piece, particularly when we acknowledge the Yankees have lacked reliable bench options in the last however many years, with infield depth a particular problem. Beyond that, look no further than the DH role, where you have Giancarlo Stanton as the projected starter\u2014even removed from fielding obligations, Stanton is very likely to not deliver a full season, which will inevitably open up a decent chunk of at-bats to be spread around. Su\u00e1rez could fill that role occasionally with McMahon at third whenever you want to prioritize defense.<\/p>\n
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