The New York Yankees clinched a spot in the playoffs this season as the club hopes to snap its 17-year World Series drought. However, one MLB insider is concerned about Ryan McMahon's abilities on defense, as he believes the 31-year-old has been a liability at third base. Should New York switch things up with the lineup for the postseason?

Joel Sherman of the New York Post sure thinks so. In the latest episode of the “Pinstripe Post,” Sherman ponders the idea of the Yankees benching McMahon throughout the entire duration of the playoffs.

“I can't remember a time where it wasn't, like an injury or rest, where a right-hand pitcher was on the mound, like Corbin Burnes, and McMahon wasn't in the lineup,” Sherman said. “Cause the problem for McMahon isn't that he isn't hitting. He almost never hits. It's that he's not fielding well.

“And if I'm not going to get either thing from him, like I don't know what's happened to him on bunt plays,” Sherman continued. “If [opponents are] advanced scouting the Yankees and he's playing third base, you should bunt against him.”

Article Continues Below

Sherman also wonders if the best move for manager Aaron Boone to make would be to start Jose Caballero at third base instead and simply use McMahon as a pinch hitter throughout the postseason. Either way, the MLB insider believes the Yankees' best bet to make a deep playoff run is to avoid playing the 10-year veteran altogether.

Ryan McMahon has been underwhelming at the plate all season. Through 318 at-bats, he owns a .208 batting average and .275 OBP while recording 66 hits, 10 home runs, and 35 RBIs. Defensively, he's made nine errors at third base and has a 95.8% fielding percentage.