Yankees must consider this bold Cubs trade if Ryan McMahon's struggles continue

Your opinion of this trade proposal will depend on how high you want the Yankees' offense to fly, and what you believe to be the smartest deployment of their pitching surplus. Ryan McMahon was a disappointing offensive player in Colorado; he's been an offensive zero since joining the Yankees. He's also been an elite defender. Is the Yankees' lineup strong enough that they can stomach that? Or are you worried enough about Jazz Chisholm Jr./Austin Wells/Anthony Volpe/Jose Caballero to want to pull the expensive plug?

Likewise, the Yankees don't only have too many starters for the rotation, but they have too many experienced and good-to-great starters. If Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole come back healthy (big "if," but we're not talking about depleting the surplus entirely or ditching Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange), would you want Luis Gil and Ryan Weathers in the bullpen? What about Will Warren? Or does that sound kind of like fitting square pegs into round holes?

This could change, but right now, it feels like ... if you can get a third base upgrade, you do it. Better a long-term one than a short-term stopgap. And if you can get a bonafide eighth-inning guy, that would also be preferable to shoving a starter out there and hoping for the best.

To start the process ... how about dangling a Gil-led package to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Matt Shaw, who seemed to be available this offseason?

Shaw's 24 years old (and, yes, he's from Springfield, Mass, which could be another Cam Schlittler "don't DM my family" situation). The quality of contact still leaves something to be desired, but his numbers improved as his rookie season built, and he posted 3.1 bWAR and a 99 OPS+, settling in roughly league-average territory. He'd also be a righty in a lineup full of (suddenly) too many left-handers.

The Cubs, suddenly, have far less starting pitching depth than they began the season with after a Cade Horton injury blow that could upend things and a Matthew Boyd strain. Gil certainly fits the Edward Cabrera mold of high-variance, hard-throwing pitchers their front office tends to target. Could you center a Shaw package on Gil, add Core Jackson/Kaeden Kent, and call it in?

The biggest problem with Yankees-Cubs trade? McMahon will be an anchor no matter what.

No matter what you do to upgrade third base (or, at least, add a little projection/room for growth), you won't be able to drop McMahon from the roster without DJ LeMahieu'ing him. Remember when we said nothing could be worse than LeMahieu? I fear we were wrong — McMahon comes with an extra year attached.

It's likely still too soon to be examining a seismic swap like this — the Yankees will at least want to see the return of either Cole/Rodón before they send Gil packing. But, call me old fashioned ... I'd rather have a reliever doing a reliever's job than force Gil to do something he's not accustomed to (and might stink at).

Shaw would bring top prospect pedigree to a position that's been largely empty for years — and, given the impending need at second base and potentially shortstop, too, would plug a hole without requiring George Lombard Jr. to be two places at once. It's less than ideal, but the two teams match up well (and Nico Hoerner's not going anywhere).