4 Ryan McMahon replacements Yankees should already be dreaming about for 2027

It's far too late to do anything about it this season, but the New York Yankees officially have a Ryan McMahon problem. It's been a year and a half now that he's been in pinstripes, and his performance with the bat has been worse than notorious frustrations like Joey Gallo, late-career DJ LeMahieu, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, among others.

With a .208/.274/.344 line over 119 games this season, he has struggled against righties, is even more useless against lefties, and has arrived at a point where his good-but-not-great defense can no longer save his subpar bat.

Now that the case for an offseason DFA is clear, it's time to start thinking about potential 2027 replacements. There might not be a ton of high-end options, but there are a few that we can dream on.

Four dream Ryan McMahon replacements for 2027 if the Yankees shoot for the stars

Rafael Devers

Rafael Devers has been gaining buzz as a trade target for New York since the lead-up to the trade deadline. This would be a 180 in philosophy, as the whole reason things deteriorated between Devers and the Red Sox was growing concerns over his defense, and since arriving in San Francisco, he's primarily been a first baseman and DH. There's a school of thought, though, that George Lombard Jr.'s athleticism and defensive potential could help mitigate the defensive issues.

Devers hit 38 homers this year, and even a slow first half from him was light-years better than what McMahon has put up at any point in his career. Admittedly, this has become a bit more complicated due to questions about his status for Opening Day after undergoing core muscle surgery, and the Yankees would have to assume the vast majority of the nearly $200 million that the 29-year-old is owed, but his bat would be a perfect fit, and this would have the added benefit of tormenting Boston with a Raffy Revenge Tour.

Isaac Paredes

Another trade candidate, Isaac Paredes, could be an interesting option. The 27-year-old has long been on the Yankees' radar, and this winter could be their opportunity to get a deal done. The Houston Astros are never ones to help the Yankees out, but this could be a case where need aligns well enough for both squads that they have no other choice but to come to an agreement.

Houston is in a tough spot. Their horrid start put them behind the eight ball, and they're in a dogfight with the Texas Rangers for the AL West crown. The loser of the division chase might find themselves out of the Wild Card picture, and if that were to happen, it would mark the Astros' second consecutive playoff-less season. They've also fired general manager Dana Brown this summer, so changes are coming.

Paredes was subject to a slew of trade rumors last offseason because Houston has an infield logjam. Carlos Correa's injury cleared that up in 2026, but he'll be back next year and is under contract through at least 2028 (and possibly through 2032, depending on a series of vesting options). Meanwhile, they're also stuck with Christian Walker for another season, and Jose Altuve isn't going anywhere. Houston desperately needs pitching, and doesn't have a lot of room in their budget. Perhaps an Elmer Rodriguez-centric package could sway them.

Bo Bichette

It might sound strange, but Bo Bichette could be a sneaky-good solution for the Yankees. While he got off to a frigid start in Queens that has depressed his overall line, he's hit .291/.335/.440 since June 1. There's also some reason to believe that getting away from the Mets' dysfunction could help him rebound even more.

What's more, he could actually provide some things the Yankees need. Having another contact-forward bat would be nice, and he'd add some much-needed right-handed balance to the lineup. It seemed for a while that he was a shoo-in to opt in to his contract, but now, after a return to form, it's thought to be a 50-50 chance that he tests the free-agent market again this winter. If he does, he deserves a long look.

Zach Neto

This one requires some creativity, but there's a chance that New York could make this work. Zach Neto was the subject of a wave of trade rumors at the deadline, and according to Angels insider Jeff Fletcher of the OC Register, Los Angeles is expected to shop him again this offseason. The Red Sox and Rays were both rumored to be sniffing around the 25-year-old at the deadline, so making a deal for him could also be a defensive move.

Neto is a shortstop by trade, but if there's one knock on his game, it's that his range at the position is lacking. He does have a cannon for an arm, with his throwing power checking in at an 85th-percentile mark per Baseball Savant, so a move to the hot corner could maximize his defensive skill set.

The hiccup here will be the price. Neto is a perennial 30-30 candidate and doesn't hit free agency until 2030, so he won't be cheap to acquire. For this to work for the Yankees, they'd need to be able to hold onto Lombard Jr.; otherwise, they're simply trading one shortstop for another. That might not be possible on either team's end. Los Angeles acquired top prospect Arjun Nimmala from the Blue Jays for Jose Soriano, and the soon-to-be 21-year-old is tearing up Double-A. He could soon be ready to step in and take Neto's job.

This is the longest shot of them all, but it could help the Yankees extend their window well into Aaron Judge's decline. A core of Neto, Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, Ben Rice, and Cam Schlittler could eventually usher in a new era without the club having to go through any sort of reset.

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