The New York Yankees bolstered their roster by acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies on Friday, sending two young minor league pitchers in return in a bid to halt their slide in the AL East standings.
Colorado received 22-year-old right-hander Josh Grosz and lefty Griffin Herring—both early in their minor league careers.
“A high-quality defender,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. “His offense this year has been inconsistent, but there’s real potential yet to be unlocked.”
McMahon, a 30-year-old All-Star in 2023, had been batting .217 with 16 home runs and 35 RBIs for the last-place Rockies. While his 127 strikeouts ranked near the top in the league, he heated up post-All-Star break—going .300 with three homers and seven RBIs in six games.
He still has about $36.2 million remaining on his six-year, $70 million contract through 2027.
McMahon leaves a Rockies team sporting MLB’s worst record (26–76) for the Yankees, who opened the season with a 35–20 record and a seven-game AL East lead. However, since May 28 they’ve gone 19–26, starting the weekend 4½ games behind Toronto.
“A midseason move is a sensitive transition,” Boone noted. “Players leave familiar surroundings. We hope the new setting will bring out the best in him.”
Earlier in July, New York shifted All-Star Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third base back to second and released two-time batting champion DJ LeMahieu, who was hitting .266 with two homers and a .674 OPS. Oswald Peraza had assumed third base, but managed just 3 hits in 30 at‑bats with no RBIs since August 6.
McMahon spent his entire nine-season career with the Rockies. He holds a career batting average of .240, with 140 home runs and 452 RBIs.
“He’s been a key contributor here, so it’s tough to see him go,” said Rockies interim manager Warren Schaeffer. “But now he has a real shot at postseason baseball—I’m happy for him.”
McMahon’s remaining 2025 salary is $4,193,548, followed by $16 million in each of the next two seasons. His acquisition is expected to increase the Yankees’ luxury tax payroll by about $4.6 million—on top of their opening-season total that ranked third in MLB at just under $311 million.
Minor league stats: Herring posted a 7–3 record with a 1.71 ERA, 102 strikeouts, and 36 walks in 89 ⅓ innings across Hudson Valley and Tampa. Grosz went 4–8 with a 4.14 ERA, 94 strikeouts, and 35 walks over 87 innings at Hudson Valley.
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