NEW YORK — The Yankees have an expensive problem at third base, and the numbers make it difficult to ignore. New York’s options for 2027 include retaining an established defender who struggled at the plate, trading for a younger alternative or attempting to create room for both.
The position produced a .215 batting average, .271 on-base percentage and .358 slugging percentage in 2026. Ryan McMahon, acquired to improve the infield, finished with a .213/.279/.357 line, 11 home runs and a 76 OPS+. His contract calls for another $16 million next season.
The Yankees also must consider how much talent they can afford to surrender. Their minor league pitching depth has already supplied important major league help, and another trade involving premium prospects could reduce that cushion. General manager Brian Cashman faces a familiar challenge: improve the lineup without creating a different roster weakness.
The trade market presents an especially difficult calculation when the target is young, productive and years from free agency. That kind of player may solve more than one problem, but the acquisition cost can exceed what a club would pay for an established veteran.
A Gold Glove finalist offers Yankees infield solution
Miami Marlins infielder Javier Sanoja, 24, fits that profile. He finished 2026 batting .295 with 11 homers, 69 RBIs, 11 stolen bases and a .791 OPS in 144 games. His .333 on-base percentage and .458 slugging percentage produced a 122 OPS+, indicating offense 22% better than league average after adjustments.
The contrast with McMahon is considerable. Sanoja’s batting average was 82 points higher, his on-base percentage 54 points higher and his slugging percentage 101 points higher. The resulting OPS gap was 156 points. Both hit 11 homers, making this a contact-and-production upgrade rather than a simple power comparison.
Sanoja also provides defensive value. The 2025 National League utility Gold Glove winner played 119 games at third base in 2026. MLB’s Statcast figures credited him with six Outs Above Average and five Fielding Run Value there. He became an NL third-base Gold Glove finalist Oct. 14 alongside Alex Bregman and Max Muncy.
His experience at second base, in the outfield and in brief shortstop appearances makes him more than a direct replacement at third. That flexibility could give manager Aaron Boone another way to distribute playing time when the Yankees reshuffle their infield.
His biggest Yankees connection came against Aaron Judge
Sanoja also has a direct link to a painful night for Yankees captain Aaron Judge. Playing for Venezuela, Sanoja scored the winning run in a 3-2 victory over Team USA in the March 17 World Baseball Classic final in Miami.
Venezuela broke a 2-2 tie in the ninth when Eugenio Suárez delivered an RBI double. The United States had tied the game on Bryce Harper’s two-run homer in the eighth. Sanoja’s part in the decisive sequence gives a potential Yankees acquisition an unusual connection to Judge’s international disappointment.
The Marlins infielder’s season supplied a second reason for New York to pay attention. Baseball-Reference credits him with 3.1 wins above replacement in 2026. McMahon finished near replacement level. WAR is an estimate rather than a promise of future performance, but the gap reinforces the production difference seen in their hitting lines.
The proposed return may be real obstacle
There is no verified report that Miami is shopping Sanoja or that the Yankees have made an offer. A publicly circulated Baseball Trade Values proposal instead described a four-player Yankees package of Dax Kilby, Luis Garcia Jr., Elmer Rodríguez and Ben Hess for Sanoja. That framework is speculation, not a negotiation.
Two other possible packages illustrate different ways New York might approach the Marlins. One would send right-hander Elmer Rodríguez and outfielder Jasson Domínguez to Miami. Another would begin with either Rodríguez or Domínguez, then add left-hander Allen Facundo and outfielder Jace Avina. Neither proposal has been reported as an actual offer.
The first package would place two relatively prominent assets in the deal. Rodríguez entered 2026 ranked among the Yankees’ top three prospects by MLB Pipeline and was on the club’s 40-man roster. Domínguez offers major league experience and switch-hitting upside. Including both would make the transaction a substantial bet on Sanoja’s bat and defensive flexibility.
The second approach would spread the cost over more developmental pieces, but there is no assurance Miami would favor it. The Marlins control Sanoja through 2030, with free agency projected for 2031. That leaves little pressure to accept a discounted return.
A $16 million question remains at third base
Even if the Yankees acquired Sanoja, McMahon’s salary would remain on their books unless a separate transaction moved it. The financial issue matters because trading prospects for a younger third baseman does not automatically free payroll for other needs.
The clubs have made a deal recently. Miami sent pitcher Ryan Weathers to New York in January 2026 for four prospects. That precedent establishes a working relationship, not fresh evidence that the Marlins will trade Sanoja.
The Yankees now have a statistical case to examine and a high acquisition price to weigh. Sanoja’s production, Gold Glove credentials and years of control make him appealing, but the story remains a potential fit rather than a reported Yankees pursuit.
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