Yankees Hot Stove Update: Cody Bellinger switch, Ryan McMahon future, Brian Cashman

As the saying goes, "When Jack Curry speaks, Yankees fans listen," and that much was the case on Wednesday night during an episode of "Yankees Hot Stove" on the YES Network. Curry had some offseason updates for fans as the Bombers navigate these weeks prior to the inevitable lockout.

Where to start? We can get the general news out of the way, and that's Curry saying he expects the Yankees to be "active on all fronts" leading up to Dec. 1. That sounds like a "no duh" situation, but if you remember the month prior to the 2021 lockout, the Yankees did nothing meaningful. Brian Cashman acquired TJ Rumfield from the Phillies and traded Tyler Wade to the Angels, then stood there while a number of contenders ate the Yankees' lunch.

Curry relaying this news is certainly more encouraging than silence, but we'll believe it when we see it. The Yankees famously do not move fast at the start of the offseason and do not get aggressive when they're under the gun with time.

Cody Bellinger could move to center field for Yankees in 2027

And now for the frustrating developments. Curry said it's believed Gold Glove left fielder Cody Bellinger could move to center field next year, which suggests a number of things. The first of which is that they do not believe in Spencer Jones as a legitimate CF option.

The second is that they might be serious about pursuing a corner outfielder who can help upgrade the offense. That could be Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki or Ian Happ. Our rebuttal? Bellinger is the best defensive left fielder in the game. Keep him there or else you lose tremendous value. None of Arozarena, Suzuki or Happ would move the needle much for the New York, and Arozarena and Suzuki will cost significant money and a draft pick since the qualifying offer is attached to them.

Once again, the Yankees roster remains a mess. They're constantly moving players around when it feels like there's little need to do so.

Yankees rumors suggest Ryan McMahon could be on the way out this offseason

Lastly, perhaps the funniest update of all from Curry, involved Ryan McMahon. The veteran third baseman has been terrible during his 1.5 years in New York, registering a 1.1 WAR across 178 games accompanied by a .211/.289/.349 line and declining defense.

Curry said the Yankees organization "has a great deal of respect for McMahon, but see third base as an area of need." This alludes to the reality that the Yankees favor feelings/status over the correct decision making. There's no need to preface the fact third base is a black hole for New York with "well, don't forget, we respect Ryan!". He's barely played a full season's worth of games with the Yankees; it's not like he's been here for five years. His performance has directly harmed the roster and his contract is weighing down the payroll.

Trade McMahon, eat half of his salary, and bring in just about anybody else. That's probably the only sensible approach. And spare us the lip service. Of course McMahon is respected. He's a nice guy and definitely worked hard to contribute to the Yankees. It just didn't work out, and now they have to act on his $16 million salary for 2027.

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