Yankees trade grades: Ryan McMahon a needed addition in the Bronx, but not the most explosive choice

The New York Yankees and Colorado Rockies agreed to a trade on Friday afternoon involving veteran third baseman Ryan McMahon. The Rockies will receive two pitching prospects in return: lefty Griffin Herring and right-hander Josh Grosz.

As is tradition, CBS Sports will be providing instant analysis whenever a notable trade happens leading up to the July 31 deadline That includes, among other aspects, handing out grades to all involved parties.

Before we get to our analysis, let’s recap the terms of the trade one last time:

• Yankees receive: 3B Ryan McMahon
• Rockies receive: LHP Griffin Herring, RHP Josh Grosz

Now, onward.

Yankees grade: B

Once the Yankees released DJ LeMahieu and relocated Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the keystone, it seemed like a matter of time before they would add a third baseman. McMahon may not have been everyone’s preferred choice based on performance or sentimental reasons. He’s not as explosive as Eugenio Suárez, even if he is a superior fielder with a longer value tail (he’s under contract for two additional seasons); and his father wasn’t a Yankee, like Ke’Bryan Hayes, but he’s a much better hitter.

Indeed, the 30-year-old McMahon is a steady offensive performer, turning in an OPS+ between 90 and 98 going on five consecutive seasons thanks to his strength and eye, and he’s a legitimate plus defensive third baseman who ought to become a pitching staff favorite. At the same time, McMahon is highly prone to striking out (nearly 32% this season) and his home-road splits may inspire the collywobbles:

If that concerns you … well, fair enough. There are some potentially encouraging developments to be found here, however. Foremost, McMahon will no longer have to concern himself with the Coors Hangover Effect. He also stands to benefit from continuing to play his home games in a favorable hitting environment — one that ought to suit his new appetite for lifting and pulling the ball to right field.

That doesn’t mean McMahon will necessarily take a huge leap forward — he doesn’t need to anyway, since he’s been a consistent 2.5-to-3-win player — but it’s possible that his game shifts now that he’s out of an extreme environment, to say nothing of him plausibly improving with a better organizational infrastructure around him.

For the Yankees to add McMahon at this point, in this market without giving up one of, say, their best handful of pitching prospects seems like a good piece of business — one that could look even better in due time.

Rockies grade: C

For as much as we joke about the Rockies dancing to the rhythm of their own drum machine, give them credit for recognizing and acting on their present situation. There was no reason to keep McMahon beyond the deadline, and getting two pitching prospects back without retaining any of his salary seems like an OK deal — not a clear home-run swing, and maybe not as good as the return the Arizona Diamondbacks received on first baseman Josh Naylor, but an acceptable deal all the same.

Herring, 22, is a sixth-round pick from last summer who pitched almost exclusively in relief before turning pro. He’s since started 16 times between A-ball affiliates, amassing a 1.71 ERA and a 2.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Herring has four pitches: two low-90s fastballs, a changeup that almost acts like a splitter, and a slider. The Rockies were, presumably, fond of the fact that he’s generated around 50% ground balls. 

Grosz, 22, was an 11th-round pick in 2023. He’s spent this season in High-A, compiling a 4.14 ERA and a 2.69 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 appearances (15 of them starts). Grosz is a short strider who delivers his arsenal from a low three-quarters slot. His fastball has some dead-zone properties and sits in the low-to-mid 90s, while his slider and changeup are geared toward generating weak contact, not whiffs. 

Both have a chance to make starts for the Rockies over the next 12 to 18 months, with Herring possessing the better odds of carving out a real role for himself at the big-league level.