Yankees reminded of unforgivable Manny Machado miss with DJ LeMahieu contract

Outside of catcher, third base is the most unique position on the defensive spectrum. The value of having a good glove manning the hot corner is typically on par with second base or center field, yet the bar for offensive production is usually higher, all while requiring a specialized skill set of quick-twitch actions that aren't easily replicated at other positions. Therefore, it's important to find a player who can competently handle these multifaceted responsibilities, unless you're the New York Yankees.

The last 4.0 bWAR season by a Yankees third baseman came in 2011, when a then-35-year-old Alex Rodriguez achieved the mark in just 99 games. After the 2012 season, Rodriguez was practically done at the hot corner, and the revolving door began. The collection of players who were primary starters from 2013 onward at third is a true motley crew that includes Jayson Nix, Yangervis Solarte, Chase Headley, Miguel Andujar, Gio Urshela, Josh Donaldson, DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Ryan McMahon.

The average bWAR per season from that group from 2013-2025 is 1.74. If you remove the outlier, Urshela's 3.8 mark from 2019, it's even worse. A mark of 2.0 bWAR is generally accepted as an average starter's production, so it's easy to see that New York's third basemen have been a good bit below-average over the last 13 years.

In recent times, it has gotten even worse. The position was essentially vacant from 2024 through the first-half of 2025, with DJ LeMahieu's battered body and a contingent of utility prospects getting run through until they traded for McMahon at the deadline. At present day, the Yankees might be worse off than ever with McMahon subtracting 0.4 bWAR from the club thanks to his incredibly horrendous start.

Yankees could have solved 3B problem long ago with Manny Machado, but ... Brian Cashman

For a little while, New York had somewhat solved their conundrum. The Headley trade was similar to the thinking behind the McMahon deal insofar as he was a solid defender whose bat they believed could play up and be at least average. Headley posted a .727 OPS as a Yankee, and although he wasn't a star, he did the job admirably.

Handing the position off from Headley to a then-promising prospect in Andujar in 2018 would have made some sense, but Andujar only rose to lay claim to the hot corner because of the disaster that was the Brandon Drury trade. While Andujar may have had the bat to play the position, his glove was sorely lacking, and the carousel began turning in force.

The 2018-2019 offseason presented New York with the perfect, long-term solution. Longtime AL East foe Manny Machado was a free agent, heading into his age-26 season, and had the chops to hold up both sides of the hot corner responsibilities and then some. He reportedly wanted to be a Yankee; however, his youth and talent would require a massive contract to reel him in (but not unlike any other star free agent approaching the age of 30). Brian Cashman, having acquired Giancarlo Stanton and the balance of his massive contract the previous winter, didn't have the appetite to add another $300+ million deal to the payroll.

For a brief time, the penny-pinching worked, but it was short-lived. By skimping and not signing Machado, the Yankees have thrown good money after bad at the position, paying a total of $31 million to the currently unemployed LeMahieu and his replacement, McMahon. And we can't forget about the $50 million given to Donaldson.

Think about it. The Yankees paid $90 million to LeMahieu, $50 million to Donaldson, and about $35 million to McMahon. That's more than halfway to the possible Machado deal. So instead of spending $300 million shrewdly, they threw $175 million in the garbage.

The original deal that Machado had signed with the Padres paid him an average of $30 million per season, which is a pittance for an All-Star talent. McMahon is making $16 million per year. LeMahieu was making $15 million. Yeah, Machado is easily worth double that.

Since 2019, Machado has averaged an .824 OPS and produced an average of 3.89 bWAR per season through 2025.

As New York considers its options to shore up the longtime sore spot that has been third base, something interesting has happened across the defensive spectrum. For the past two seasons, shortstops have out-hit third basemen on average, with 2024 marking the first time that's happened since 1933. That speaks to the incredible collection talent at shortstop (another Yankees' gaffe, but a discussion for a different time) present today, but also the dearth of acceptable third basemen.

The lesson is clear. The Yankees need to remember that they're the Yankees and wield their financial might when the opportunity to get a top talent in his prime presents itself. Trying to get cute, as they have at the hot corner, not only costs them in terms of production, but also in efficiency, as the savings are washed away as they scramble to fix their errors.

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