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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The New York Yankees could use the upcoming Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline to bolster their team and separate themselves from the rest of the American League. With the league being wide open, it’s an opportunity for New York to cement itself as the favorite.

As of June 21, the Yankees are 46-29 with a three-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays. One area of the team that could use fixing is third base.

Ryan McMahon is batting .211 with 36 hits, seven homers, 21 RBIs and 18 runs scored in 64 games this season, per StatMuse. So, who could be a potential candidate for the Yankees?

In a June 19 article, Will Laws and Nick Selbe of Sports Illustrated see San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman as a fit for New York.

“After a miserable start to the year, Chapman has heated up in a big way in June, lifting his season numbers back in line with his career norms,” Laws and Selbe wrote. “The five-time Gold Glove winner remains a standout defender at the hot corner, and he’s yet to post a wRC+ below league average in any single season.”

Despite the Giants‘ struggles and their efforts to sell off veteran pieces, Chapman is performing well. Chapman is hitting .290 with 31 hits, 6 home runs, 26 RBIs, and 19 runs scored in his last 30 games, per StatMuse.

Giants 3B Matt Chapman Won’t Come Cheap

Nonetheless, while Chapman is heating up with the summer months now here, the third baseman won’t come cheap, which might cause some teams to back away. It’s not that the team will have to pay a premium for prospects, but trading for Chapman comes with a major financial commitment.

“His contract (he’s owed $100 million from 2027 to ’30) will price him out of some teams’ market unless the Giants show a willingness to eat some money,” Laws and Selbe added in their article. “ESPN’s Buster Olney did report San Francisco is open to considering offers for Chapman, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames in an attempt to cut salary, and Chapman is arguably the only one with surplus value.”

Another 3B in the Trade Speculation for the Yankees

With the trade deadline inching ever closer, Chapman isn’t the only third baseman thrown out in the speculation conversation. In a June 15 article, Karl Rasmussen of Sports Illustrated floated Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes as a potential trade target to improve the hot corner midseason.

“Paredes is a right-handed hitter and a capable third baseman who could step into a platoon at the hot corner with Ryan McMahon,” Rasmussen wrote. “Paredes, a two-time All-Star, is an above-average hitter who hit 31 home runs and drove in 98 RBIs in 2023 with the Rays.”

The Astros 3B has a batting average of .238 with 60 hits, 10 homers, 36 RBIs, and 31 runs scored in 71 games this season, per StatMuse.

Furthermore, the Astros’ third baseman has experience playing in the AL East, having played for the Rays from 2022 to 2024. As a result, he wouldn’t be a stranger to playing in the different ballparks within the Yankees’ division and would be a good platoon player with McMahon.