Yankees' Spring Off to a Tremendous Start...

  

Cam Schlittler (Credit: New York Post)

Winning is a distraction…

After a disappointing offseason for most Yankees fans, the team came to Spring Training ready to play. In the grand scheme of things, it does not matter if the Yankees win all the Spring games or lose every one of them. After losing the first game of the Spring schedule (2-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles), the Yankees are 8-2, while displaying excellent young starting pitching and powerful punches in the lineup, regardless of who plays. It has effectively stopped fans from moaning about the team’s lack of big offseason moves.

I was one of many people who complained about the Yankees’ offseason inactivity aside from re-signing outfielder Cody Bellinger (a necessary move) and acquiring a starting pitcher with a lesser name from the Miami Marlins. Trent Grisham was not so much a Yankees’ move, but rather a roll of the dice by placing a qualifying offer on him, which, to the surprise of many and probably the Yankees too, he accepted. I like Grisham and appreciate what he accomplished in 2025. I am reluctant to think he can do it again. I hope he does. For all the talk of trading Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez, the Yankees should hold onto them since Grisham will be gone in 2027, and Giancarlo Stanton is most likely in his last couple of years with the team. Jones has a chance to be an important part of the 2027 Yankees. The goal this season, in my opinion, is better plate discipline and fewer strikeouts, although strikeouts will always be a part of his game. I wish there were a spot on this year’s active roster, but sadly, on Opening Day, he will find himself in Eastern Pennsylvania. Injuries will bring him to the big-league club at various times this year, so I hope he continues to view those as valuable learning experiences to prepare himself for the eventual ascension to a starting role if the Yankees do not trade him.

Spencer Jones (Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images)

I am old enough to remember when people said Aaron Judge strikes out too much or that he will never be the player Mike Trout is. I think people have forgiven Judge for his strikeouts, and the people who said he would never be Mike Trout were right…Judge is better. I am not saying that Spencer Jones will ever be the player Aaron Judge is. Judge is a once-in-a-lifetime player and an eventual resident of Cooperstown, alongside many great, legendary Yankees who preceded him. But Jones can be an admirable player for the Yankees, a trusted bat, a confident glove, and a leader who helps make others better. The type of player who helps lead teams to championships.

I am sure it is tough to tell both Jones and Jasson Dominguez to be patient, but hopefully the stars align so both men can shine in the Bronx.

The outfield became more crowded when the Yankees signed Yankees killer Randal Grichuk to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. The deal was made official today, so he should begin appearing in Spring games soon. He has much to prove after last season, but maybe he can be this year’s Matt Carpenter. I would love to see him bring sadness to the hearts of his formerly loving Blue Jays fans. A few David Ortiz-like homers against the Red Sox would be cool, too. I am hopeful Grichuk makes the team, assuming he still has it. He is not being asked to play a crucial role, so hopefully, he excels as a complementary piece. He is a needed right-handed bat and helps give Manager Aaron Boone options.

Randal Grichuk

A couple of weeks of Spring Training, and George Lombard, Jr. has easily proven his defense is major-league ready. He seems like such an easy choice to replace Anthony Volpe as the Yankees’ starting shortstop. I doubt the team would do it, but there is no question Lombard, Jr. will be part of the 2027 squad. Move Volpe to second base after the season if Jazz Chisholm, Jr. departs through free agency. Unless, of course, super prospect Dax Kilby starts knocking on the door. It is nice to see these types of problems.

The young starting pitching was as good as advertised. Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange, and Ben Hess have bright futures. Everybody laughed at the Yankees last year when former Yankees prospect Carlos Narvaez became the starting catcher for the Boston Red Sox and had a few key hits against his old club. Rodriguez has a chance to rewrite the script and give the Yankees the advantage. I am excited about Lagrange. There was such a long drought of elite young starting pitchers for the Yankees, but the focus in recent years started to blossom last year with Cam Schlittler, and it is flourishing with the arms behind him. I would certainly rather have young, extremely talented arms over journeyman veteran starters. When the best pitching prospect in the Yankees organization was Chance Adams, the team had to go outside to find help. Better days are here with much stronger arms on the farm.

Going back to the offseason, I understand the Yankees’ strong belief in the players in the organization. I thought adding to a good thing would be better, but the Yankees did not share that belief. To their credit, they are much smarter than me. This season will prove whether a little more would have been helpful or unnecessary. I will take the latter and hope for a World Series championship.

I am not going to try to read too much into Cody Bellinger’s current back discomfort. The Yankees are always conservative with injuries, and I accept that this is minor. Rest, Cody, as much as you would like. I want a happy and healthy Cody Bellinger ready to play on Opening Day. If not, it is an opportunity for Spencer Jones or Jasson Dominguez to prove they belong.

Congratulations to CC Sabathia on the news that the Yankees will retire No. 52 on September 26, 2026, in a game versus the Baltimore Orioles. Congratulations to CC for his enshrinement in Baseball’s Hall of Fame and his placement of immortality in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park. While I am one who thinks too many numbers get retired, Sabathia earned the right, and he wears a Yankees cap in Cooperstown despite starting his career with Cleveland, formerly known as the Indians. I do not understand the New York Post’s attempt to question the number’s retirement. CC Sabathia was a TALENTED player in his prime, and an elite leader in his final years. He made the adjustments to survive in the game and continued to help those around him improve. He is a great ambassador for New York despite his Northern California roots. The Yankees were better because of CC. I am concerned about the lack of numbers, but insufficient numbers between 0 and 99 are not something any of us will experience in our lifetimes. Maybe they should go with letters for the coaches. I would gladly give an F to Aaron Boone. Or go with no numbers. They all wear warm-up jackets anyway.

I am excited about some of the names I have seen for the 2027 international free signings, but I will contain the excitement until the players sign on the dotted line. This year was unusual with the firing of longtime international scouting director Donny Rowland. Key signings have reneged on their Yankees acceptance and signed elsewhere. Based on experience, their futures are probably not as bright as they once seemed. Even if they do become elite players in the Major Leagues, the Yankees need to overhaul this area. The Los Angeles Dodgers have prospered thanks to their elite farm system. The Yankees needed to catch up. I hope the decision to promote from within (Matt Garza) was the right move, but he has a strength in Latin America and should help. For Asia, the Yankees hired Matt Slater for the newly created role of global player acquisitions supervisor. He has 18 years of experience with the St. Louis Cardinals in a similar role, and, per Garza, “He’s very connected in Asia.” The Yankees also added Nao Masamoto, formerly of the Chicago Cubs, to their international staff. Given his success with bringing Japanese players to Chicago, I am hopeful he can restore the Yankees as an elite destination for Japanese players. It is hard to believe the Yankees have not been able to reign in a top Japanese talent since Masahiro Tanaka. I am truly hoping that Nao changes the landscape and brings great Asian players to the Big Apple. I get it, I love California too, but New York will always be the City.

As always, Go Yankees!

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! 

Living the HZS Years in the Yankees Universe...

  

The Yankees are the image of their Managing General Partner…

When I was a kid, the CBS Years of Yankees Ownership were viewed as the worst in the history of the New York Yankees. The “CBS Years” ran from 1964 to 1973. George Steinbrenner, with an initial investment of $168,000, assembled a 12-member ownership group that acquired the Yankees from CBS for $10 million on January 3, 1973. George brought mediocrity in Pinstripes to an end and reinvigorated the organization's fire and desire. Sadly, George’s death in 2010 has brought us the HZS Years. Life under Managing General Partner Harold “Hal” Zieg Steinbrenner.

Hal Steinbrenner

The 2009 World Series Championship was under Hal’s watch after he had acquired day-to-day control of the Yankees from his father, a move approved by the MLB Owners in November 2008. The 2009 World Series Championship was a tremendous one, but in retrospect, it was an outlier in the HZS Regime. Hal, the Accountant, is pleased with the status quo. Win enough to be profitable, but never quite go ‘all in’ for a championship run. Every year, the team leaves something open and exposed as a potential fatal flaw. This off-season, the inactivity has been startling and alarming. Trent Grisham’s acceptance of the Qualifying Offer in November set the stage for the offseason. The Yankees were prepared to let Grisham walk, and his acceptance of the QO caught them off guard and left them without a plan. Well, unless the plan was to do nothing while waiting for Cody Bellinger decide where he plans to go for Spring Training.

Cody Bellinger

To the Yankees’ credit, they did make a trade for a talented young left-handed pitcher, Ryan Weathers, for four young, albeit not “top” prospects. It is not the big pitching move we had hoped for, but Weathers, son of former Yankees reliever David Weathers, should flourish under Pitching Coach Matt Blake’s tutelage. His acquisition also does not preclude the Yankees from making a move for a higher-level starter to slot in behind Max Fried to open 2026. The Yankees continue to remain connected with Freddy Peralta, which would be a huge acquisition, but Peralta’s name is attractive to other teams as well. The Dodgers could easily outperform a Yankees offer for Peralta, adding another star player to their vast collection of superstars. The Dodgers have the money, the farm system, and the burning desire to dominate Major League Baseball. They are what the Yankees used to be. They are what I thought the New York Mets would become under Uncle Stevie and his billions, but I forgot one aspect…they are still the Mets, an organization not known for making the wisest decisions.

Time is running out on the off-season, but the Yankees could make several rapid-fire moves to place their team among the AL’s best, heading into the new season. Working out a compromise with Scott Boras to ensure the return of Cody Bellinger would be a start, but if coupled with the acquisition of a strong young starter like Peralta, MacKenzie Gore, or another promising starter with high-end potential would ace the off-season for the Yanks despite the drought of activity for months. They still need another bullpen arm, but there are still guys available. With Closer David Bednar in place for the season (bringing stability to the position), the Yankees can work on the supplemental pieces. Last year’s bullpen was off recent standards, but the Yankees have fared well with their bullpen mix in recent years. The bullpen is the least of my concerns. It will work itself out.

Now that Kyle Tucker is off the board, Scott Boras has the Yankees where he wants them. The Yankees say they are not budging from their latest offer, which has been reported as five years and more than $30 million annually, with several opt-outs. Telling the public that they are not budging seems like a way to motivate another team, like the Toronto Blue Jays, to step in and overpay. Or at least that is what Boras wants. I have no idea how this will turn out. I want Bellinger to return, but it seems too easy for another team to jump to the head of the line, and Scott Boras would like nothing better than to stick it to the Yankees. So, my heart hopes Bellinger returns while my head says he goes elsewhere. The Yankees have no pivot, so we will find out whether Jasson Domínguez is ready for the Show on a consistent basis and can capitalize on glimpses of elite performance. Maybe he is never elite, but he needs to be a solid, consistent player with a dependable bat. Spencer Jones does not appear to be ready, but Bellinger’s departure could hasten his advancement, ready or not. Signing free agent outfielder Austin Hays for a platoon role seems like Plan B, but GM Brian Cashman is good about pulling out surprising names, so we shall see.

I do not expect Trent Grisham to be as good as he was in 2025. He had his Brady Anderson year. Hopefully, he will be a strong player for the Yankees in 2026, but there is a risk of regression.

I wish Hal Steinbrenner had a better understanding of how to excite the fan base. It is late January, and I am not looking forward to Spring Training with the usual exuberance. The Yankees will be a different team when all the guys are healthy, and Gerrit Cole climbs back atop the starting rotation. The question is how much ground will they lose between now and then? You can have great pitching, but you still need to put runs on the board. Aaron Judge cannot do this by himself. Ben Rice’s bat will be important to the team, but he is being asked to be the team’s full-time first baseman. His focus will be on the continued nuances of playing first base and playing it better than league average. I wonder how an offseason of trade rumors will impact Jazz Chisholm, Jr. I expect him to be among the team’s best players, but does the relationship between the Yankees and Chisholm start to sour due to the rumors?

2026 must be a full breakout year for Austin Wells. We need more from him. I am cautiously optimistic that third baseman Ryan McMahon will hit better this season after spending more time with the Yankees coaching staff.

So many questions, so few answers. It does not seem like a great starting point if you want to topple a two-time World Championship team that has only gotten better since last season’s final out. I am holding out hope GM Brian Cashman has some last-minute surprises for us, but I am prepared to be disappointed.

The Yankees and their dumpster-diving ways continue. After previously signing former St Louis Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong to a minor-league deal, they have inked former A’s OF/1B Seth Brown to a similar minor league deal with a training camp invite. A few years ago, Brown would have been an exciting addition. In 2026, if he is playing, things went horrifically wrong.

I look forward to finding out who this year’s Cam Schlittler will be. The Yankees' focus on minor league pitching over the past few years has yielded many trade prospects, but it is nice to see some breakthrough with the Yankees, like Cam. 6’7” RHP Carlos Lagrange, 22, seems like the next to step up unless another young, talented arm jumps in front of him. I am really hoping that the MLB Rule 5 Draft selection, RHP Cade Winquest, pitches well enough to stay on the roster for the duration of the season to keep him in Pinstripes and places him in Boone’s circle of trust.

Cade Winquest

George Lombard, Jr. continues to be the team’s best prospect (SS/2B), but young Dax Kilby, SS, is on the fast track to the top of prospect rankings. Kilby seems like the future Yankees shortstop, but he is only nineteen, a year younger than Lombard, Jr., and is still a few years away. Lombard, Jr. will put himself in position for 2027 with a strong 2026 and may even suit up with the big-league club before the season is over. I would like both guys to succeed as Yankees, but it seems inevitable that one will be traded. Not that the Yankees want to move one, but rather one will be the cost of a trade the Yankees desire, and they will have to make a hard choice. In the end, with a championship club, prospect-hugging is not the formula for success. The offseason has shown us a team that will be looking for upgrades in July if they are within striking distance. Decisions are being made harder than they need to be.

Will this trend of playoff failures continue if the HZS Years continue? Most likely. I do not see any immediate World Series Championships on the horizon, and we will have legitimately wasted the best years of Aaron Judge. I continue to hope for the best. A World Series Championship for Judge and Gerrit Cole would be one for the ages. I hope it happens. Yankees, your move.

As always, Go Yankees!