3 salary-clearing trades Yankees must make to revamp if payroll rumors are true

If the rumors are to be believed, the New York Yankees will not be exceeding the $300 million payroll threshold in 2026. That may or may not be true, but if it is, it certainly doesn't leave much room for maneuvering.

Estimates vary on where the Yankees currently stand, but it seems that they're in the $260-$280 million range currently, with Trent Grisham's $22.05 million qualifying offer and projected arbitration salaries included. If $300 million is the end goal, then some breathing room needs to be left for in-season moves ... or any impact moves at all.

Suddenly, finding a big bat for left field, adding right-handed balance to the lineup, signing another starter, and fixing the bullpen don't look feasible. That is, unless the Yankees can clear salary from the books via trade.

The contracts that are both movable and won't create yet another hole if traded are few and far between, but there are three possible solutions that stand out.

3 players the Yankees could trade in order to create payroll flexibility

Giancarlo Stanton - two years, $44 million remaining (including Marlins subsidies)

There is light at the end of the tunnel of Giancarlo Stanton's massive 13-year, $325 million contract. The way this breaks down is it's either a two-year, $44 million commitment if his 2028 option is declined (which it will be). Nobody is paying him $25 million for his age-38 season.

That's not exactly ideal, but it also isn't that bad. Stanton's 158 wRC+ in 2025 was identical to the mark he posted in his 2017 NL MVP campaign. Of course, the downside is that it came in only 77 games. Stanton can't truly be counted on to be healthy and is limited solely to DH duty, but as a potential Kyle Schwarber alternative for a team in need of power, he could make some sense.

The Yankees might need to chip in some money to move his contract off the books, and the return wouldn't be great, but it is doable. It also might be beneficial to clear the DH spot and allow for a rotation to keep everyone fresh. Trading Stanton would've been impossible just a couple of years ago, but now it is a realistic, if unlikely possibility.

Carlos Rodón - three years, $83.5 million

We're halfway through the Carlos Rodón experience in the Bronx, and by this point, we've seen all sides of the left-hander. In 2025, he looked like a high-end No. 2, posting a 3.09 ERA over 195 1/3 innings. In 2024, he was a solid mid-rotation innings-eater, posting a 3.96 mark, and 2023 was a campaign of injury-plagued misery, as he finished the year with a 6.85 ERA between IL stints.

Still, he has the high-end talent to be an attractive option in someone's rotation, and his shorter-term commitment could present an intriguing alternative to Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez in free agency.

Where things get complicated is the recovery timetable from elbow surgery. The soon-to-be 33-year-old isn't expected to miss too much time, but he won't be ready for Opening Day.

Moving Rodón also opens a hole in the rotation, sort of. Part of the reason the Yankees are thought to be seeking another starter is the fact that he, along with Gerrit Cole, are recovering from surgery. Clearing his contract to then bring in another starter might just solve that issue.

The Yankees might need to eat some of his salary, but moving Rodón could free $20-plus million from the 2026 books, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Ryan McMahon - two years, $32 million

The more time that has passed, the more the deadline deal that brought Ryan McMahon to the Bronx is looking like a mistake. The defense at the hot corner is a welcome sight, but the putrid performance at the plate gives away any surplus value that he might have, at least for the Yankees.

McMahon might still be movable, however. The New York Mets swung a big trade to bring Marcus Semien to Queens because they were desperate to tighten up their defense. With that, run prevention is becoming en vogue with other teams like the Cincinnati Reds' deadline deal for Ke'Bryan Hayes, showing that teams are willing to pony up for elite gloves that possess questionable bats.

The good news for the Yankees is that the free-agent third baseman class is weak. There's Alex Bregman, who provides both offensive and defensive excellence, but that comes with a premium price tag. There's Eugenio Suarez, who brings immense thunder to a lineup, but that comes with a lot of strikeouts and shoddy glovework. And then there's ... nothing really.

Like the others, the Yankees might have to eat a little bit of money, and they certainly won't receive much back, but in trading McMahon they could clear roughly $10 million from the 2026 ledger even if they have to kick in some cash. That could be used for more impactful players, though; it would also open a hole at third again.

As a result, evaluating whether or not moving McMahon is the right call would have to do with the chain reaction it sets off, and whether or not the net result is a stronger roster overall or not. He is certainly the worst player, but the positional scarcity makes threading the needle here a tough proposition, though one that could pay big dividends.