Yankees may have just saved Cubs fans from a disastrous trade deadline move

The first domino fell on Thursday when the Seattle Mariners acquired Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks and, less than 24 hours later, another top position player is on the move, with the Colorado Rockies sending veteran Ryan McMahon to the New York Yankees in exchange for a pair of prospects.

McMahon, 30, shores up the third base picture in the Bronx which has been less than stellar, to say the least. But it comes at a cost. The former All-Star carries a $16 million price tag in both 2026 and 2027 - and keep in mind, he's never even been a league average bat over the course of a full season. He topped out at a 97 wRC+ back in 2022, when he slashed .246/.327/.414 for the Rockies.

Between the sub-par production at the plate (a career .216/.302/.362 hitter away from Coors Field) and the decent financial commitment for the next two-plus years, I hated him as a potential trade target for the Chicago Cubs who were, as recently as this week, connected to him in trade rumors.

With the Yankees out, the field for Eugenio Suarez shrinks by one

An ideal fit will be someone who is either a rental or can slot into a bench/utility role if they're under team control past this season - leaving the door open for Matt Shaw to get another bite at the apple next spring. The Cubs' rookie has been scorching hot since the All-Star break, entering the Crosstown Classic with a robust .474/.474/.947 line in a half-dozen second-half contests.

The Yankees' acquisition of McMahon also (at least in theory) takes them out of the running for slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez who, in my mind, is an absolutely perfect fit for the Cubs this season. He further lengthens an already powerful lineup, gives Craig Counsell insurance at third and allows Shaw to come off the bench (thus cutting the dead weight that's been Jon Berti and Vidal Brujan this year).

The market is picking up steam and the message for Cubs fans at this point is simple: take a deep breath. There is a lot of time between now and next Thursday - and Jed Hoyer is going to be burning the candle at both ends until the calendar turns to August. For now, at least it appears Chicago is one step closer to landing Suarez - or, at least, there's one less roadblock in that pursuit.