Introducing the 2025, scratch that, 2026 New York Yankees...

  

Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt (and others) back together again for a second run.

Front Office decides to “run it back”…

Same old, same old, minus a few faces and arms.

Like many Yankees fans, I am disappointed with the offseason. I am glad the Yankees re-signed outfielder Cody Bellinger. It would have been awesome to sign Kyle Tucker as his replacement, but it was not in the cards. Without Tucker as an option, Cody was clearly the best-case scenario. Not many players adapt to the Bronx so quickly and with such ease.

I did not want to lose Trent Grisham, but the way it played out was not ideal. Having Grisham back for one year is inconsequential; the concern is that his acceptance of the qualifying offer prevented the Yankees from being more aggressive in making other offseason moves to further enhance the team. If the Yankees feel that they have unlocked Grisham, and 2026 will be more like 2025 than any other year, congrats to them. I certainly want Grisham to perform at his highest and best.

Trent Grisham, before he accepted elite money on a one-year deal

It is a little sad that the returns of Bellinger and Grisham will push Jasson Dominguez to Triple-A again. I feel bad for him. The best way to become a great Major League baseball player is to play in the Major Leagues. With no starting spot, a bench role with limited appearances is not in Jasson’s best interests. So, the minor leagues appear to be the only option, short of injuries, unless the Yankees decide to package Jasson in a deal for pitching or a right-handed bat.  Grisham is only one year (it seems unlikely he will return in 2027), but holding Jasson down for even a year longer is too much. I hope he gets an opportunity in the Major Leagues this year, even if it is not in New York.  Jasson seems like one of those players you trade to Miami or Colorado, yet he ends up finding his way to Queens or Boston to make life miserable for the Yankees. 

I genuinely thought the Yankees would acquire at least a mid-rotation level starting pitcher, given the delayed starts this year by Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón. I know there is hope for upside with Ryan Weathers, but with no offense to the son of an ex-Yankee, I was hoping for more. I am hopeful Ryan flourishes under the tutelage of pitching coach Matt Blake, but I wanted somebody who could help Max Fried at the top of the rotation with certainty.  There is still time. The Yankees could make a move in Spring Training, but with each passing day, the likelihood of the Opening Day Roster coming from guys who already have their tickets to Tampa is the most probable outcome for all 26 positions. 

Losing Luke Weaver, I thought the bullpen would be a greater area of need, but the Yankees must feel that they can fix it in-house and/or through waiver claims. 

The Yankees re-signed 38-year-old Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year deal on Friday.  Ben Rice is already the designated first baseman, so Goldy returns as the backup despite his years of elite play. Time is never generous to anyone unless your name is Tom Brady.  Goldy’s best years will never include a move to New York. Here’s hoping that he can provide some punch off the bench. I would have been satisfied with Cody Bellinger spelling Rice at first, but I understand you cannot overplay Belli over the course of a long season. Goldschmidt should be a great coach in a player’s clothing to help Rice’s transition to the starting first base role.  Giancarlo Stanton will spend time on the Injured List. It is inevitable, so Goldy provides DH support too. Here's hoping we have no "cliff-dropoffs" in 2026.

3B Ryan McMahon and backup first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (Photo Credit: Corey Sipkin, NY POST)

I will miss Luke Weaver, now a Met.  I know 2025 was not his best, but the quirky personality was fun to see in Spring Training. I was hopeful for a rebound in 2026, but unfortunately, if it happens, it will happen with Juan Soto, Clay Holmes, Devin Williams, and the New York Mets.

I keep hoping for something like the 1995 offseason when Don Mattingly decided to retire, and the Yankees made the astute trade to acquire Tino Martinez, along with valuable reliever Jeff Nelson, from the Seattle Mariners to replace him. We need more trades like that.

It is tough to keep up with all the waiver claims and the subsequent designations for assignment. Not much to write about, since "here today, gone today" seems to be the common theme, but it would be cool if the Yankees could unlock at least one of these formerly top-rated prospects to become a reliable piece for the 2026 Yankees.

I am not quite sure I understand the decision to “run it back”. I get that the Yankees made some aggressive deadline deals last season, and the team they ended with was better than the one they started the season with. But why not build upon your strengths? Enhance what you felt was a great team. I think the Yankees could have done so much more to instill confidence in the Fan Base and give the team on the field the best chance to succeed. 

I do not believe in Hal Steinbrenner because I do not feel that his heart is in it. The Yankees represent a great financial opportunity for him and his family, but his desire to make the Yankees the best they can be will always be in question unless he proves otherwise. I like Hal, and I think he treats people better than his father does, but maybe that is a fault, as he has given GM Brian Cashman too much leeway.  The game has changed, and the Yankees would be better served by upgrading the General Manager position. I have long said promote Cashman to President of Baseball Operations, keep Randy Levine on the business side, and hire a new general manager (so long as it is not analytics geek Michael Fishman). The new general manager should be fresh blood from outside of the organization, preferably someone who has proven themselves in smaller markets. The Dodgers, obviously backed by stupid money, made a good decision when they hired former Tampa Bay Rays executive Andrew Friedman. The Yankees need to make one of those types of moves.

I love the Yankees, and I want to win the World Series to end the ‘they have not won since 2009’ talk.  I wish the Yankees had done everything possible to ensure they field the team with the best chance for success against MLB’s elite teams, and the one a little higher than that, the Los Angeles Dodgers.  I know, make it to October, and it is anybody’s game. I think the Yankees will be in the October playoffs. I am not so confident they’ll be facing the Dodgers or Mets at season’s end. I hope so. Brian Cashman and his team need to do better, and time is running out. If the Yankees flop this season, it will be time to end the Brian Cashman Era and take his manager with him.  As always, I hope these guys prove me wrong.

As always, Go Yankees!