Yankees insider's strong Ryan McMahon hint comes with a Teruaki Sato downer

To say that the Ryan McMahon era hasn't gone the way the New York Yankees planned is an understatement. Since arriving in the Bronx at the 2025 trade deadline, he's been among the absolute worst hitters in baseball. If that wasn't bad enough, his trademark defense fell off substantially in 2026, and one doesn't have to look further than Game 2 of the ALDS for proof.

Finding a way to ditch McMahon and other deadweight on the roster, even if it means eating some cash, has been a core tenet of our plan to restore the Yankees' former glory. Whether or not they'd actually be so bold, though, remained to be seen.

Last week, Yankees insider Joel Sherman laid out some possibilities as to how New York could flip McMahon for a more useful part in a column for the New York Post. All of the solutions he laid out were essentially bad-contract-for-bad-contract swaps, like sending McMahon to the Giants in exchange for Harrison Bader or to the Twins in exchange for Victor Caratini.

Then, on the Pinstripe Post podcast a week later, Sherman doubled down, saying, "I think that the Yankees will try very hard to redirect Ryan McMahon's money, which is $16 million in the last season, someplace else. Do they eat it? Like, do they get him down to a $5 million player, and that allows them to get a relief pitcher or something?"

Sherman then reiterated that they could pursue bad contract swaps, acquiring players who might fit a need better on the roster, even if they are overpaid.

Moving on from McMahon obviously opens up a hole at third base, and unfortunately, the free-agent market is primarily made up of past-their-prime veterans at the hot corner, as well as utility men. The one exception is Japanese star Teruaki Sato, who is expected to be posted by the NPB's Hanshin Tigers. He's left Yankees fans salivating about his potential for a while.

Unfortunately, Sherman doesn't see New York making the big splash for Sato, citing defensive concerns. He did, however, highlight the importance of the club re-establishing prominence in the Japanese market and pointed to some hires made over the past year in the international scouting department as being crucial first steps towards that goal.

Prioritizing defense over offense in a Ryan McMahon replacement could be a Yankees' mistake

There are no bones about it: the Yankees need to tighten up their defense, as it has repeatedly let them down in big spots like the 2024 World Series and the 2026 ALDS. However, focusing too much on defense and ignoring offensive concerns is what gives you Oswald Peraza, and then ultimately McMahon, as your starting third baseman.

The 27-year-old Sato has been compared to Chicago White Sox darling Munetaka Murakami, and to an extent, the comparison is apt. Murakami had played third base in the past, but was ultimately thought of as a better firt at first base. Sato, who played 125 games at third base while making 19 errors this year at the position, also has experience playing right field. While he's never played first, there are some who believe that's where he'll ultimately end up.

That's what gives Sherman pause, not just because first base is a less valuable position than the hot corner, but because of the Yankees' roster construction. Ben Rice and Luis Garcia Jr. are already two left-handed hitters splitting time between first and DH, so adding another lefty bat in Sato could result in a third player being parked in that rotation as well.

Throw in Aaron Judge likely getting a healthy dose of DH days, and it starts to become very difficult to see how the pieces all fit in the same lineup on a daily basis.

To an extent, it doesn't matter. Sato is 27 years old, and should be given a year to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he can or cannot handle the hot corner. If he can't, there's always the possibility of moving him to a corner outfield spot and letting Cody Bellinger take over center field full time.

More importantly, the Yankees have something of a reset on their hands in Japan with a new regime taking over the scouting department. By not making a big splash now, they'll be sending the message that it'll be more of the same, and it will put them even further behind the eight ball when it comes to revitalizing a market that they once dominated.

The defensive concerns shouldn't be overlooked, but at the same time, the cost of not pursuing Sato is greater. This is about present-day priorities as much as it is about the future. For the Yankees, it seems as if they're willing to forgo future opportunities in service of reacting to an immediate problem, if Sherman's read on the situation is correct. That could be a mistake.

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