After finding who they hope is their starting third baseman for the next few seasons in Ryan McMahon, who is under contract through 2027, the New York Yankees aren’t expected to pursue one of the top infielders available in free agency this offseason.
McMahon Could Prevent Bregman Pursuit
With the outfield, starting rotation and bullpen all profiling as more pressing needs for the Yankees at the moment, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch stated that the club is unlikely to make an attempt to sign Alex Bregman over the next few months with McMahon already on their roster.
“It seems a safe bet that they’ll go into the season with Ryan McMahon at third base,” Hoch wrote. “McMahon’s defense was a vast improvement over what they had at the hot corner previously, and even though his bat didn’t play up to expectations (.641 OPS in 54 games), he delivered a few clutch moments. McMahon is earning $32 million through 2027, which likely precludes a serious run at a free agent like Alex Bregman.”
Bregman’s History as a Yankees Rival
There’s been just about no point throughout his big-league career where Bregman wasn’t essentially viewed as a villain in some capacity by Yankees fans.
The three-time All-Star was a member of the Houston Astros from 2016 to 2024, and he faced New York in the postseason on three occasions during that stretch. All of those meetings came in the American League Championship Series (2017, 2019, 2022), and Houston emerged victorious each time.
The Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, which came to light after the 2019 campaign, furthered the vitriol New York’s fan base had already held towards Bregman and Houston as well.
The Yankees were rumored to have interest in Bregman as a free agent last offseason, however, but they never made an all-out attempt to sign him.
He instead joined the Boston Red Sox, New York’s bitter AL East rival, on a three-year, $120 million deal that he is opting out of in order to reach the open market once again this winter.
Bregman ended up posting an .821 OPS with 18 home runs in 114 games for Boston during the regular season before getting eliminated in the Wild Card Series by the Yankees during the playoffs.
Why Bregman Isn’t a Fit for New York
Unless the Yankees plan on trading McMahon or even Jazz Chisholm Jr., which could open up second base for Bregman if he were open to a position change, the latter wouldn’t make sense as a target for the club.
Sure, he’s still a fantastic player who is one of the league’s more consistent hitters (career .848 OPS) and a Gold Glove-level defender at third base, but New York ‘s financial resources should be used to upgrade other areas of its roster this offseason.
It doesn’t help that Bregman is entering his age-32 season either, which makes handing him a long-term deal all the more risky.
Though he’d improve an already-potent Yankees lineup, adding Bregman simply isn’t in the cards for the Yankees.
