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The New York Yankees, as usual, have aspirations of winning a World Series. Last season, they were embarrassed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic with their defense being the primary reason. They didn't do much to improve defensively during the offseason. But on Friday, they finally traded with the Colorado Rockies for third baseman Ryan McMahon.
No, it was not the Eugenio Suarez trade that many Yankees fans were hoping for. But considering the blatantly obvious need at the hot corner, it is still a rather large addition for the Bronx Bombers.
In return, the Yankees sent two minor-league pitching prospects to the Rockies. Colorado acquired left-handed pitcher Griffin Herring and righty Josh Grosz.
So who won the trade? Let's grade the Ryan McMahon trade from the Rockies to the Yankees.
Yankees trade for much-needed 3B help
The trade for McMahon is a big deal, both offensively and defensively. The Yankees have been the butt of jokes all week after their putrid defensive performance against the American League East-leading Toronto Blue Jays. Overall, they rank just below the middle of the pack defensively in the majors.
McMahon, who was named an All-Star for the first time last year, is solid defensively. He spent three consecutive seasons as a Gold Glove finalist with the Rockies and was voted on by players and coaches to the All-Star team. As poor as New York's defense has been this season, the hot corner was not a hole.
Oswald Peraza is a very good fielder. The problem: he cannot hit the baseball practically at all.
Peraza enters Friday's series hitting a pathetic .147 this season with a .208 on-base percentage. His batting average is more than 50 points lower than his body weight. That is never a good sign.
Teams can sustain poor hitting with some guys hitting around the Mendoza Line, but an everyday starter who cannot hit a buck fifty is not going to cut it.
McMahon, who has 16 home runs this season and is on pace for his fourth straight 20-home-run campaign, should be a significant upgrade. The lefty should also be able to take advantage of the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
Unlike a potential Suarez trade, who is set to become a free agent, McMahon is likely to stick around. New York absorbs the remaining $4.5 million of his contract this year, and he will be owed $32 million over the next two years. It stands to reason McMahon will stick around in the Big Apple for a couple of years.
On its face, this is a big win for New York.
But we have to keep it real. McMahon was a highly touted prospect that Colorado expected to become a superstar. That never came to fruition. This is his ninth year in the big leagues, and he has yet to hit .255 for a season. McMahon is a career .240 hitter who strikes out a ton.
Yankees fans don't have to be reminded of all the failed trades for third basemen in recent years. This is by no means a slam dunk.
Grade: B
Rockies retool, add a couple of prospects
The Rockies are coming off a 61-101 season and have somehow gotten significantly worse. They aren't on the historically putrid pace of the Chicago White Sox from last season, but they also are not that far off. It certainly made sense to try and acquire assets for McMahon, who just turned 30.
They added two pitching prospects in Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz in exchange for McMahon.
Herring was the Yankees' sixth-round pick out of LSU last year. Thus far, he has compiled a 1.71 ERA in 89⅓ innings across 16 starts between Low- and High-A this season. MLB Pipeline recently graded him as the eighth-best prospect in New York's farm system.
Meanwhile, Grosz was much lower, ranking 21st. He has pitched to a 4.14 ERA in 16 appearances in High A ball this season.
I am someone who firmly believes that the side getting a proven star for prospects wins trades. It does not always play out that way. But prospects are just that, prospects. Most are misses. Just ask the White Sox what it's like acquiring assets from the Red Sox for ace starting pitchers in recent years.
But McMahon is no stud. He is a solid player who appears to have never fulfilled the promise of being a star. So this was not a total swing and miss for Colorado. Herring and Grosz are just 22 years old with live arms.
Grade: B-
