The New York Yankees have one of the best farm systems in MLB, putting them in a position to acquire just about any player that becomes available at the MLB trade deadline. Unfortunately for the front office, one of the top Yankees trade targets reportedly won’t be on the move this summer.
New York’s scouting department is one of the best in baseball, helping the team identify talent both outside of the majors and around the league. The Yankees do a good job finding players they can turn from good into great, which shapes who they pursue on the trade market each summer.
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It’s most often seen with the bullpen. While the Yankees are often tied to trade candidates like Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller, New York usually prefers to find less heralded options. However, there is one emerging player on the hitting side that New York wanted to acquire in July.
Days after reports emerged that the Yankees were very high on Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Colorado won’t consider moving the 29-year-old corner infielder this summer.
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The Rockies are one of the worst teams in baseball and have sat near the bottom of the MLB standings for two years now. However, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan noted in early June, Colorado is well-known for being passive at the MLB trade deadline and the team is recognized for being unwilling to launch a complete rebuild.
It says nothing about New York’s inability to pull off a blockbuster trade nor general manager Brian Cashman’s willingness to be aggressive. The Yankees top prospects and the depth of their farm system are more than enough to execute a trade for McMahon, or someone with a similar talent and a long-term contract. Colorado is just an unwilling trade partner.
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So, with McMahon off the board, New York will turn its attention to other first basemen and third basemen who could be available this summer. Even before Anthony Rizzo suffered an injury on Sunday, the Yankees were exploring their options for replacing him.
Whether that means moving DJ LeMahieu over and acquiring a third baseman or acquiring a direct replacement for Rizzo, the Yankees will be investigating their options in the next few weeks.
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