The Yankees went into the 2025 season without an everyday third baseman.
Manager Aaron Boone started with Oswaldo Cabrera at the hot corner, but once he suffered a season-ending injury, he had to use youngster Oswald Peraza and even shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. from second to fill the spot.
Of course, it didn't work offensively or defensively, forcing GM Brian Cashman to finally address the position and trade for Ryan McMahon at the deadline.
Should the Yanks be content with McMahon starting at third base next year? It's an interesting quandary as there are many more pressing needs to address this offseason — namely, the outfield — but if an upgrade is available at third base, should Cashman take a look?
Alex Bregman, after a successful season with the Red Sox, is a free agent again and could be an intriguing option. Should the Yankees reach out to the All-Star?
Here are the pros and cons…
PROS
Bregman was a free agent last offseason and landed with the Red Sox after signing a three-year, $120 million deal, but opted out to test free agency again. Why would he do that? Well, Bregman was the Red Sox's MVP in 2025, at least for the first half of the season.
Bregman entered May batting .328 with seven home runs and was still hitting .299 by the end of the month. However, he suffered a quad injury that wiped out the third baseman's June and some of July.
Once Bregman returned, however, he picked up where he left off, finishing with a triple slash of .273/.360/.462 with an OPS of .822 to go along with 18 home runs and 62 RBI.
Bregman notched his third All-Star selection in 2025 and was the veteran presence a young Red Sox team needed. There are plenty of stories that showcased Bregman's leadership in the Boston locker room, and they needed it with the Rafael Devers drama — something that started in spring training and seeped into the regular season.
Having Bregman there likely helped the Boston front office make the decision to trade their star slugger and it didn't deter the team. Bregman helped lead the Red Sox to the postseason and to a do-or-die Game 3 in the Wild Card series against the Yankees. That type of leadership wouldn't hurt in the Yankees locker room, especially for a young infield group.
In those three postseason games, Bregman was 3-for-10 with a double and two walks. His career postseason numbers are solid and he has the mental fortitude to not let the moment get too big for him.
And then there's the defense. While he may not be as good defensively as McMahon, he won a Gold Glove in 2024 and was in the 83rd percentile for outs above average (3) in MLB.
Compare Bregman's numbers to McMahon's. The left-handed bat slashed .214/.312/.381 with an OPS of .693 between the Rockies and Yankees in 2025 with 20 home runs, just two more longballs than Bregman in 40 more games. Simply put, Bregman's offense is an upgrade to McMahon's.
CONS
Bregman will enter his age-32 season next year, which, while not old, means his better years could be behind him. And they have McMahon (30) already under contract.
With age comes injury and we saw it in 2025. Bregman missed a good chunk of time and there's always risk for those soft tissue injuries as players get older. And while Bregman's offense hasn't really taken a step back, it's hard to deny he benefited from playing in Houston and Boston over the years. Those ballparks are great for right-handed hitters, which is the opposite at Yankee Stadium.
Although I believe Bregman is a hitter's hitter, and could change his approach to match his surroundings, it's hard to deny the numbers.
In 28 career games at Yankee Stadium, he's slashed .241/.336/.380 with an OPS of .716 and just four home runs. That includes going 7-for-20 (.438) in four games played in the Bronx in 2025.
And then you have to think about the contract. Bregman walked away from $40 million in 2026, so what will he look for this time around? The third baseman will look for, perhaps, his final big contract — and the Yankees shouldn't dedicate that kind of money to a position that's technically already filled. They have to figure out their outfield, fill out their bullpen, and get reinforcements for the starting rotation before thinking about a third baseman.
VERDICT
The Yankees missed the boat when they didn't pursue Bregman more aggressively a year ago. Now that they have McMahon under contract through the 2027 season, adding the All-Star feels more like excess than filling a need.
Should Cashman reach out to see what can be done? Sure. But with payroll the way it is, and the holes still needing to be filled, adding Bregman doesn't feel necessary.
