Rumor: Michael Massey Possibly a Yankees Target

 On Saturday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the New York Yankees could be interested in acquiring Kansas City second baseman Michael Massey. MLB Trade Rumors highlighted his report in their Yankees Note roundup. 

Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Yankees' regular second baseman in 2026, will be a free agent this offseason, and New York likely won't bring him back. They have internal options like Anthony Volpe and Jose Caballero, but it seems they want to upgrade beyond those two. The Yankees could pursue a trade for Xavier Edwards or Ketel Marte, both of whom have been rumored as Yankees targets in the past.

That said, Massey could be a better option because of his cost, stellar defense, and lefty swing, which fits Yankee Stadium's lefty-friendly right-field porch. 

Here's what Anthony Franco of MLBTR said about the Massey rumor:

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...Joel Sherman of The New York Post notes that the Yankees have also had previous interest in Kansas City second baseman Michael Massey. The 28-year-old is coming off a solid .274/.305/.430 season with 13 home runs for the Royals. He’s had an up and down career and had a dismal 2025 campaign around an ankle sprain, but Massey puts the ball in play with average power. He’s a lefty batter who hits a lot of pulled fly balls, a swing that’d have some appeal at Yankee Stadium. Massey’s low walk rates wouldn’t help the Yankees’ on-base concerns, but he’s a strong defender with a decent hit/power combination.

Massey had a career year for the Royals in 2026 after being plagued by injuries in 2025. 

In 131 games (a career-high) and 452 plate appearances, Massey hit .274 with a .735 OPS. He also hit 13 home runs, scored 49 runs, drove in 50 RBI, and stole 3 bases. The former Illinois product also earned his first Gold Glove nomination for his second base defense.

Massey doesn't walk much (4.7% BB%), but he doesn't strike out and puts the ball in play. His barrel and hard-hit rates are slightly below average, but his profile could fit in New York, especially considering the home ballpark and lineup around him. 

If the Royals trade Massey to the Yankees, they'll likely ask for pitching help in return. Under GM Brian Cashman, the Yankees have been a pitching factory, so they can afford to part with some arms this offseason.

Two options that could make sense for Kansas City are Will Warren and Clarke Schmidt.

Warren accumulated a 2.2 fWAR last year and sported a 3.92 ERA with 158 strikeouts in 156 IP. However, he's projected to be the Yankees' No. 5 starter next year, and the Yankees have talented arms on the 40-man roster, Elmer Rodriguez and Brendan Beck, who could replace him. 

As for Schmidt, he missed most of 2026 due to injury. However, he posted a 2.85 ERA in 85.1 IP in 2024 and a 3.32 ERA in 78.2 IP in 2025. Although he made only one appearance in 2026, Schmidt's stuff profiled very similarly to Warren's, based on TJ Stuff+ metrics. 

More players would likely be involved in a trade involving Massey and Warren or Schmidt. However, this kind of trade could be a win-win for both organizations, especially if Maikel Garcia or Nick Loftin could slide over to the keystone to replace Massey in 2027.