Fallen former top prospect on the rebound could be ideal Yankees 3B trade target

Ryan McMahon's brutal start to 2026 wasn't just the normal process of shaking off the early-season rust. Instead, it was a continuation of the atrocious performance that he put up since coming over from Colorado last season. A brief resurgence was quickly extinguished and is now back for a bit, but it's clear that third base may end up being a need for the New York Yankees.

Unfortunately, that's not all. The team could desperately use a right-handed-hitting catcher (one who can actually hit) and a pair of high-leverage relievers (maybe more). At the same time, the third base market isn't expected to be robust, though it's hard to tell with so many teams bunched up in the middle, undeclared as to whether or not they'll be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

Third base, in particular, is a strange conundrum for New York. In addition to the $16 million the club is paying Ryan McMahon, it is also on the hook for the final $15 million of DJ LeMahieu's salary. Essentially, the Yankees have already invested $31 million in the position for 2026, plus there's another $16 million that they're on the hook for with McMahon in 2027.

Therefore, finding a cost-effective replacement on all fronts is imperative. Fortunately, one might have emerged in Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis.

Twins third baseman Royce Lewis could become a Yankees trade deadline steal

Through 35 games, Lewis is hitting just .176/.272/.311, making him one of the few third basemen who have hit worse than McMahon. In fact, he was so bad that the Twins demoted him to Triple-A St. Paul earlier in the year.

However, the 27-year-old spent just 15 games there, slashing .333/.403/.900 while clubbing a whopping 10 dingers over that short span. As a result, Minnesota recalled him to the big leagues on June 6.

There's a reason to believe in Lewis's minor league outburst. He was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 draft, and topped out at No. 46 on MLB Pipeline's top 100 list in 2022. That pedigree matters, but he's more than just a busted prospect.

Lewis' development took a really weird turn over the years. The Southern California native was drafted out of high school, and missed a year of development in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing the cancellation of the minor league season. He then missed the entire 2021 campaign with a torn ACL.

He made his MLB debut in 2022 and hit .300/.317/.550 over 12 games, but then tore the exact same ACL. He returned in 2023 and hit .309/.372/.548 with 15 homers over 58 big league games. He also unfortunately suffered oblique and hamstring injuries during that campaign.

2024 saw Lewis miss significant time with a quad injury, 2025 had him laid up for some time with a hamstring injury, and he also missed some time this season with a left knee injury.

His health is a concern, but it's also a mitigating factor for his recent struggles. As we've seen, though, he's also had periods, albeit short ones, of being incredibly productive in the majors, and this season's minor league outburst proves that the ability is still there.

As a right-handed bat, he can complement McMahon or replace him completely. In turn, that frees up Amed Rosario to spell Jazz Chisholm Jr. more frequently at second base against tough lefties, while also playing more as a righty bat in the outfield.

Lewis shouldn't cost much to acquire, given all of these extenuating circumstances. The Twins also have top prospect Kaelen Culpepper chomping at the bit for a major league opportunity, which moving Lewis could provide.

Furthermore, Lewis is making just $2.85 million this year and is under team control through 2028. His salary would be easy to absorb, and the Yankees would still have prospect capital to go out and solve other needs. If things don't work out, he also has two options remaining.

Given the dearth of options and the incredible amount of wasted money saddling the books, a trade for Lewis might make the most sense of any move the Yankees could make to shore up the hot corner. The best-case scenario is that he becomes the impact hitter he was always thought to be. The worst-case scenario is that he's cheap depth at Scranton. All told, if his acquisition paves the way for impact players at catcher and in the bullpen, it's a gamble worth taking.

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