The New York Yankees' quest to shore up third base at this year's MLB trade deadline was less of a splash and more like timid three-year-old just hanging out on the side of the pool with a lifejacket on.
For all their big-boy talk of going after Arizona Diamondbacks' slugger Eugenio Suárez ahead of the July 31 deadline, all the Yankees did was grab a third baseman from the worst team in the National League who's having the worst year of his career. It's okay, Red Sox fans, go ahead and laugh.
The Yankees pulled off a trade with the Colorado Rockies on Friday afternoon that will bring Ryan McMahon to the Bronx in exchange for two prospects. Yes, the same Ryan McMahon who's hitting a paltry .217/.314/.403 and leads the league in strikeouts (127). McMahon, in nine big-league seasons, has yet to record an OPS+ above 100. This is the very definition of a mid-tier acquisition, at best.
Red Sox fans laughing at Yankees yet again for ill-advised trade deadline move
It also must be stated that McMahon was posting those numbers at Coors Field — you know the stadium that's basically a mile above sea level so the ball travels further. If those are the numbers McMahon put up in Colorado, one has wonder what his slash line will like in New York for the next 2.5 years.
That's right, the Yankees decided to forgo the notion of targeting a rental like Suarez — MLB insider Jon Heyman claims the gap between the Yankees and Diamondbacks was too big to overcome — and went with a below-average bat who's under contract through 2027.
To be fair, McMahon is a terrific defender and will upgrade the Yankees' porous defense. Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe has been the subject of much ridicule lately, and rightfully so, but perhaps McMahon's addition will at least help in that department. Nonetheless, this is not close to a move that fixes New York's problems or further thrusts them into the World Series conversation.
As for the Red Sox, they've yet to make their big trade deadline move. Maybe once Craig Breslow and the Red Sox front office stop laughing at the AL East counterpart, Boston will finally get to work and bring in some reinforcements to help push this team into the playoffs.