2027 Options for Third Base
FREE AGENTS
Eugenio Suarez
- More of a DH at this point than a 3B, he'll be 35 in 2027, and only had a 102 wRC+, while having the worst defense of his career (limited sample size, -6 FRV in 401 innings). Very high strikeout rate, I don't think he's a real option. 2026 fWAR: 0.4
Alec Bohm
- His tenure in Philly has come to an end, and he is hitting the FA market. A bad fielder at 3B, he also adds the option for a RH 1B platoon, and he's become mostly a platoon player last year (120 wRC+ vs LHP, 77 wRC+ vs RHP). Also a negative runner, but he could fill both Goldschmidt's and Rosario's position. I see him as a maybe, but not a top choice. 2026 fWAR: 0.2
Isiah Kiner-Falefa
- IKF continues to play to his baseball card, being a below-average bat with good infield defense. Jose Caballero being our utility infielder doesn't make a need for IKF, and I don't think he's an everyday player. Along with the fan dislike from his previous tenure, I don't see him returning. 2026 fWAR: 1.1
J.P. Crawford
- Crawford's time at SS has probably come to an end, he'll be 32 in 2027, and has been a horrible defender at SS the last 2 years (2025: -9 FRV, 2026: -10 FRV). He graded out neutral in 254.1 innings at 3B for the Mariners, and he is still a slightly above average hitter. He boasts a slightly above average K%, an elite BB% and Whiff/Chase %, but still has a low average due to low exit velocity. He's also a lefty so this would be a McMahon replacement, not a complement. Could be an interesting option if they find a way to move McMahon. 2026 fWAR: 1.2
TRADE OPTIONS
Isaac Paredes (HOU)
- Paredes continues to mash, being an extreme right-handed pull hitter, which perfectly matches the Crawford boxes in HOU. He's been a slightly below average fielder, but more than makes up for it with the bat (130 wRC+ in 2026). He has 1 year remaining until he hits FA, and is the most movable piece of the jammed HOU infield (Altuve, Correa, Pena), but I am unsure if they'll move him. He's a perfect fit in HOU, and would be a poor fit for the larger left field in Yankee Stadium. If he had a different profile, he'd be the Yankees #1 target. 2026 fWAR: 4.4
Josh Jung (TEX)
- Since winning the WS in 2023, the Rangers have failed to make the playoffs in the following 3 years. Their core is a weird mix of older players (Seager, deGrom, Nimmo, Eovaldi), and young playters (Carter, Langford, Leiter, Rocker). Josh Jung falls in the middle at 29 for the 2027 season, and has 2 years of control left. He's been often injured, having only played 235 games the last 2 years. He just had his best offensive year with a 136 wRC+, graded out as a negative defender with -4 FRV (DRS had him at -12!), but the Yankees would love a RH bat at 3B. The Rangers need pitching, they didn't have a single above average pitcher by ERA+, and the Yankees always have prospect pitching. I expect to hear some rumors around him, he may be the best fit). 2026 fWAR: 3.2
Ezequial Duran (TEX)
- Another Texas Ranger with 2 years of control, Duran had by far the best year of his career (4.4 fWAR of his career 6.2 fWAR). He thrived as a utility man, playing an equal amount of 3B/SS, with some 2B. He graded out elite at SS, and a slight plus at 3B while being a great runner, and an above average hitter (109 wRC+). He has been inconsistent, and had poor years in 2024-2025. The Yankees traded him for Joey Gallo, and we already saw the Rangers traded Josh Smith who was in that same trade. Duran would be a buy high option, but I think his price would be less than Jung, main thing is seeing if TEX wants to move any players. 2026 fWAR: 4.4
INTERNAL
Ryan McMahon
- If I had to take the field or McMahon for who is most likely to play 3B next year, I'd take McMahon. He is owed $16M, and has regressed on both sides of the ball. His glove took a big hit, -1 FRV at 3B this year, and his wRC+ dropped about 10 points. He had little value to trade, they'd have to eat money, but maybe they would DFA him partially through 2027 (see DJ in 2025). 2026 fWAR: 0.5
Coby Morales
- After struggling in his mid-year AA promotion in 2025 (54 wRC+), Morales flourished in 2026 with a 129 wRC+, along with a healthy 12.8 BB%, and cut down his K% from 29.2% in 2025, to 24.6%. He would have to rake in AAA, and be a mid-year call-up which seems unlikely, but he's currently the Yankees best hope for a homegrown 3B. He has a poor contact rate, and and doesn't pull the ball in the air much as a lefty, so he'd have to make adjustments to take advantage of the porch. In 2027, he will be 25. 2026 fWAR: N/A
Overall things don't look great, and I expect they make go for something I haven't anticipated, such as a Volpe/McMahon/Caballero carousel.
Sources Used: FanGraphs, ProspectSavant, BaseballSavant, Baseball-Reference