Five third basemen the Yankees could target at the trade deadline after designating DJ LeMahieu for assignment
GM Brian Cashman said Wednesday they will "try to import improvements"

In a move that seemed inevitable once Jazz Chisholm Jr. moved back to second base, the Yankees designated veteran DJ LeMahieu for assignment Wednesday. They owe him about $22 million through the end of next season, but the soon-to-be 37-year-old's bat and glove have declined the last few years, plus injuries are beginning to pile up. LeMahieu's usefulness was limited.
Ironically enough, LeMahieu is 7 for 15 at the plate in July, though he's hitting .266/.338/.336 with two home runs in 45 games overall on the season. Those numbers are consistent with LeMahieu's last few years. You can live with that bat as long as the defense is superlative, which it no longer is. A weak arm limits LeMahieu to second, where his range is lacking, and he never stole bases.
The Yankees needed a third baseman at the trade deadline even before moving on from LeMahieu. Oswald Peraza, a slick-fielding/light-hitting utility infielder, will likely man the hot corner for the time being, with playing time also given to Jorbit Vivas and JC Escarra. Between third base and injuries to the pitching staff (Gerrit Cole, Fernando Cruz, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, etc.), the Yankees have a long trade-deadline shopping list.
"I'd certainly love to import a starter, some relievers, and an infielder as well, if possible," GM Brian Cashman said Wednesday. "But that's a long list. I'm not sure if this will be a deep deadline or not, so I don't know how active we can be. But we will try to be active, I can tell you that, and we will try to import improvements. That's the gig."
Here are our top 25 trade candidates. The trade market will begin to take shape next week, after the annual amateur draft begins Sunday. Until then, here are five third basemen the Yankees could pursue at the trade deadline, listed alphabetically.
Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
The biggest name on the third-base trade market. The Yankees pursued Arenado in the offseason, reportedly offering Marcus Stroman in a one-for-one trade, though that didn't go anywhere. Frankly, cutting LeMahieu only to replace him with Arenado wouldn't make much sense. Arenado, 34, is in decline offensively as well, his defense is slipping (but still very good), and he's owed $40 million through 2027. The Yankees would replace LeMahieu with a player who is a year or two away from being another LeMahieu. Still, Arenado is likely to be available (the Cardinals spent all winter trying to trade him) and he would be a considerable upgrade over Peraza, even if he's no longer the player he was in his prime.
Ke'Bryan Hayes, Pirates
Hayes' father, Charlie, is a former Yankee who caught the final out of their 1996 World Series championship. There have been some rumblings that several teams, including possibly the Yankees, have checked in on him in recent weeks. Hayes, 28, is a fantastic defender, maybe the best defensive player in baseball at any position, though his bat has not come around. He's signed through 2029 at an average of $8 million per season, which is long-term but relatively low-cost. A team that believes it can unlock Hayes at the plate -- even a league-average hitter would be incredibly valuable with his glove -- figures to pursue him aggressively at the deadline. Whether the Pirates are open to moving him is another matter.
Ryan McMahon, Rockies
The Rockies march to the beat of their own drum and there's no telling whether they'll actually listen to offers McMahon, LeMahieu's former teammate in Colorado. There is very little chance McMahon, who turns 31 in December, will be part of the next contending Rockies team but, again, the Rockies don't always do the sensible thing. McMahon is owed $16 million a year in 2026 and 2027 and is a very good defender with an OK bat, albeit one that has been propped up by Coors Field. LeMahieu elevated his offensive game away from Coors Field, so it can be done. I don't know if the Rockies will listen to offers for McMahon, though I would expect the Yankees to at least call.
Eugenio Suárez, Diamondbacks
Suárez would be the ideal addition for New York. He's a rental and a legitimate middle-of-the-order power guy, something they could use to lengthen the lineup behind Aaron Judge & Co. The D-backs enter play Wednesday 5 ½ games behind the third wild-card spot with four teams ahead of them, so they're in the race but also facing an uphill climb. They figure to put off the decision to move Suárez as long as possible, and see whether they can force themselves back into the race first. Suárez sure does check a lot of boxes for the Yankees though. He would be the single biggest upgrade they could make at third base among players with a chance to be realistically available.
Ramón Urías, Orioles
The O's have been better under interim manager Tony Mansolino, though they remain 10 games under .500 and 7 ½ games behind the third wild-card spot. They would have to jump seven teams in the wild-card race too. A daunting task, that is. More likely, the O's will sell off pieces at the trade deadline. Urías is under team control through 2026, he's a very good defensive player, and he hits lefties hard. He's a better version of Peraza, basically. Urías would not be the sexiest name for the Yankees, but he would be an upgrade, and it is highly likely he will be available this month.