Ryan McMahon is headed to the Bronx.
The Rockies traded the third baseman to the Yankees in exchange for New York pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz, the team announced Friday afternoon.
It marks the end of McMahon’s nine-year tenure in Colorado that saw the 2013 second-round pick emerge as a fan favorite and a National League All-Star last season. This year, McMahon has struggled offensively, but he still has 16 homers and is one of the best defensive third basemen in baseball.
“We’re trying to continue to build our talent base,” GM Bill Schmidt told The Denver Post. “We appreciate everything Ryan did, and wish him nothing but the best going forward. But at the end of the day, we’re trying to add to our depth (in the minors).
“… We like these two arms. Herring is a guy we think has tremendous upside in his first full year as a starting pitcher. And Grosz is a mid-90s arm who has been up to 98. They are two guys who add to what we have as we continue to try to get better.”
McMahon was well aware he was on the trading block ahead of the July 31 deadline, but Schmidt said the front office didn’t have direct conversations with him about it. The 30-year-old has two years and $32 million remaining on his contract after this season.
“I’ve loved playing here,” McMahon told The Denver Post earlier this week. “I’d love to continue playing here and hopefully win. But again, whatever the organization decides to do, I can say from the bottom of my heart, I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve had interacting with fans here.”
In New York, McMahon will get the chance to be an impact player on a contender for the first time since 2018, his true rookie season and the last time the Rockies made the playoffs. The Yankees, the reigning American League champions, entered Friday night 4.5 games out of first place in the AL East and holding on to the top wild-card spot.
New York’s need for a third baseman was tied to the fate of another former Colorado player. The Yankees designated DJ LeMahieu for assignment on July 9 and officially released him the next day, ending the seven-year New York tenure of the ex-Rockies All-Star and batting champion. LeMahieu made 34 starts at third before his release — a move that came in tandem with shifting Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base.
The Yankees are looking to McMahon to bring plus defense to the position, while also betting that he will hit like he did in the first half of ’24. McMahon has struggled to consistently produce on offense since the second half of last season, when he batted .188. Earlier in this season, McMahon set a franchise record with an 0-for-35 hitless streak.
But he increased his trade value lately with a .313 average over the last two weeks and a 1.139 OPS. The advanced metrics also indicated McMahon’s pop is still there, as he ranks in the 98th percentile in baseball in average exit velocity and in the 87th percentile in barrel rate. He leads the National League with 127 strikeouts, but he also ranks in the 86th percentile in walk percentage with 49 free passes this year.
Defensively, he is fifth among NL third basemen with four defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs. McMahon’s been a Rawlings Gold Glove Award finalist four years in a row.
In exchange for McMahon, the Rockies added a couple of starting pitchers to their farm. Herring, a left-hander, was the Yankees’ No. 8 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, while the right-handed Grosz was ranked No. 21.
Herring has a 1.71 ERA in 16 starts in Low-A and High-A this season, while Grosz has a 4.14 ERA in 16 games (15 starts) in High-A. Herring was a sixth-round pick out of LSU in 2024, while Grosz was an 11th-round pick out of East Carolina in ’23. Both pitchers will report to High-A Spokane in the Rockies organization, with the potential to advance to Double-A Hartford next season.
In his initial statement announcing the trade, Schmidt said Herring and Grosz both have “the potential to make a meaningful impact at the major league level in the near future.”
The trade underscores the Rockies’ continued push to stockpile starting pitching prospects, both via deadline trades over the past couple of years as well as through the draft.
Those trades include sending Mike Moustakas to the Angels for Connor Van Scoyoc in 2023; C.J. Cron and Randal Grichuk to the Angels for Mason Albright and Jake Madden in ’23; Pierce Johnson to the Braves for Tanner Gordon, plus reliever Victor Vodnik, in ’23; and Nick Mears to the Brewers for Bradley Blalock and Yujanyer Herrera last year. Van Scoyoc and Madden have since been converted to the bullpen.
Schmidt said the Rockies will “continue to listen” to offers for other players on the roster ahead of next week’s deadline.
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