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! 

Yankees: Incomplete Finish is the Product of an Incomplete Start...

  

Photo Credit: Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Not addressing the team’s needs last offseason led to disappointing results…

The New York Yankees ended their season nearly three weeks ago, and the time has not done much to heal the wounds of a disappointing season.

The early exit at the hands of the current World Series participant, the Toronto Blue Jays, stung because the Yankees seemingly had the better team on paper. Of course, the best team on paper plus a dime will only get you ten cents. This year’s disappointment began last offseason when the Yankees failed to address third base and went into the season as a flawed team. Just when it looked like the Yankees had learned how to build a dominant bullpen in recent years, 2025 was a mess. Devin Williams looked better late in the year, but he shares significant blame for why the Yankees failed to repeat as the AL East champions. Luke Weaver, who most likely departs the team this offseason as a free agent in search of a starting gig, regressed, going from a lockdown reliever to another replaceable arm. His personality will be missed. David Bednar was the most crucial deadline acquisition, but he could not do it alone.

Photo Credit: Tim Heitman/Imagn Images

The Yankees have a large offseason needs list. They will soon meet to identify their offseason priorities, yet I fear it will be another Winter of ‘stopping short.’ Or worse, they try to run it back with the current roster, albeit with some minor adjustments.

Ryan McMahon was a needed acquisition at the deadline, and his glove helped to bring stability to the position, but the bat, with only occasional pop, is underwhelming. The Yankees should have tried harder to get a stronger overall player for the position last Winter. McMahon will be the third baseman for the near future, which is okay only if the Yankees are fully engaged in the coming weeks to build the best possible roster. McMahon is not the reason the Yankees got bounced early, and he will be a Yankee until 2027 unless the team finds a better option between now and then. I like his glove at third base so long as we do not need to rely on his bat. The phrase ‘offensive production’ can be taken several ways with him, yet he is what he is, and he was an upgrade over the departed DJ LeMahieu or trying to play Jazz Chisholm, Jr. out of position.    

The Yankees need to address their starting rotation. Gerrit Cole’s recovery from Tommy John surgery puts him as a mid-season option. Yet, it takes time to regain full form after Tommy John surgery. Immediate success may not come. We may not see Cole at his best until 2027. Carlos Rodón will not be ready for Opening Day after his recent surgery to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur in his left elbow. Clarke Schmidt is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will not be an early 2026 option. There has been some speculation that he will be non-tendered. The decision reminds me of the Yankees’ decision to cut Nathan Eovaldi in a comparable situation and how Eovaldi has been a much better pitcher since. For Opening Day 2026, the Yankees have Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, and Will Warren. Luis Gil will also be available, but in the long term, he seems better suited for the bullpen despite his starting success in 2024. Warren is “just that dude” at the back end of the rotation. Not expecting much from him other than to keep the Yankees in games.

We can dream about Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, but the Dodgers or the Mets seem like a more probable destination if the Tigers decide to trade away their ace. The Yankees should focus on other starters while the Dodgers and Mets are focused on Skubal. Milwaukee’s Freddy Peralta seems like a good trade target if the rumors are true about Peralta’s availability. There will be competition for his services, but the Yankees can assemble an aggressive package to make it happen. Although the trades are unrelated, Milwaukee, by winning the Devin Williams trade, at least has some good feelings about trading with the Yankees. Former Yankee and current San Diego Padre Michael King is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract to become a free agent, and he looms as a possibility. I would enjoy a reunion with King. It was tough to give him up for what turned out to be only one year of Juan Soto. This year, he was powerful for the Padres, going 13-7 with fourteen quality starts, a 2.85 ERA, and 201 strikeouts.

Photo Credit: K.C. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune

The bullpen needs offseason attention. David Bednar showed that he is the man for the ninth inning, but he needs a better supporting cast. Hopefully, last season was an aberration, and the Yankees can resume their prowess at picking relief arms. It would help to have a manager who does not routinely make bonehead decisions late in games, but it is what it is. Manager Aaron Boone is not going anywhere, whether you love or hate him. In Boone’s years as manager, I hoped for continued growth and evolution, but he is reaching the ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ stage.

Managing General Partner Hal Steinbrenner has the money to hire the best talent for the front office and the coaching staff. Yet, he is content with winning seasons that line his family’s pockets with wealth over his late father's ‘going for it’ style. General Manager Brian Cashman may be one of the better GMs in the game, but with no championships since 2009, it is time for new voices in the room. The game has evolved since Cashman became the team’s GM in 1998. I say it every year, and nothing happens. Still, the Yankees should move Randy Levine, the Team’s President, to the business side and appoint Cashman as the President of Baseball Operations, allowing the team to hire a new general manager. Granted, Cashman could overrule a new hire’s decisions, but bestowing power and authority in a younger, brighter mind would help.

Going down the ‘Fire Aaron Boone’ rabbit hole is senseless since Hal will not make a change.

First base is or is not a position of need. Granted, Paul Goldschmidt departs through free agency after one season. Yet, the Yankees need Ben Rice in the everyday lineup. If he is not catching, and Giancarlo Stanton continues to occupy the DH spot, first base is the best spot to plant Rice. I have seen some express interest in free agent first baseman Pete Alonso. I would rather focus on the outfield, pursuing free agent Kyle Tucker, despite his “Yankee-like” performance (i.e., unproductive October bat) in the Cubs’ losing playoff effort against the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month. If the Yankees cannot sign Tucker (who seems like a future Dodger), they must re-sign Cody Bellinger, who will opt out of his contract next month after a productive first year in Pinstripes. I am not saying Bellinger is better than Tucker (he is not); nevertheless, I enjoy Belli’s versatility, and he provides an easy alternative to pair with Rice at first base when he is not playing in left field. If the Yankees cannot get at least one of Tucker or Bellinger, the offseason will be disappointing, regardless of how much you believe Spencer Jones can be the answer.

I am among many Yankee fans ready to move on from shortstop Anthony Volpe. Yet, he seems as entrenched at shortstop as Boone does as the Yankees manager. The projected ETA for top prospect George Lombard, Jr. is 2027, which means we must endure at least one more season of Volpe at short unless the Yankees make other moves at shortstop (unlikely). A full season of the speedy Jose Caballero provides backup support while we wait on young Lombard, Jr. That is better than Volpe and nothing that was featured before the trade deadline this year.

Trent Grisham will not return. He was the surprise of the season and earned the right to get paid. The Yankees have too many other needs to invest more bank in Grisham. They need to fully commit to Jasson Dominguez as the everyday centerfielder or make a trade for a younger (or, as Hal would say, cheaper) option to place between Aaron Judge and Tucker/Bellinger/Mystery Player in the outfield from right to left. There is a chance Grisham stays if the Yankees put a qualifying offer on him and he accepts it. I think he will be looking for a lucrative long-term deal to cash in on what might be his career year when it is all said and done and will reject the QO if given. Whether another team wants to give up a draft pick to sign him remains to be seen. Every offseason of free agency is different.

The coaching staff will feature new faces, while Aaron Boone continues to blow bubbles in the dugout. The Yankees have already parted ways with First Base/Infield Coach Travis Chapman and Bullpen Coach Mike Harkey. They also removed respected Assistant Hitting Coach Pat Roessler, with some speculation that he will be offered another role in the organization. Hitting Coach James Rowson remains a finalist in the Minnesota Twins’ search for a new manager to replace the fired Rocco Baldelli, so he may depart. There was early talk about Luis Rojas in managerial searches, but there is a better chance he returns as the Yankees’ Third Base Coach. To replace Roessler, the Yankees promoted minor league hitting coordinator Jake Hirst. If Hirst had not been promoted, he most likely would have left the organization for better opportunities, so Roessler appears to be the sacrificial lamb to retain the younger, talented Hirst. The poor bullpen performance is not Mike Harkey’s fault, but neither Michael Fishman nor Brian Cashman will fire themselves for assembling a leaky pen.

I look forward to the end of the World Series so the offseason rebuilding can begin. I know it will set us up for disappointment when Spring Training rolls around, but there is always HOPE the Yankees will make the right moves, even if history shows they never quite do enough to field the best possible team. Thinking about the possibilities (such as Tucker or Peralta) is exciting until they are off the board. Maybe Cashman pulls off another trade that shocks us all. The offseason is like Christmas…the anticipation of the gifts that await us.

I am glad to see Don Mattingly experience a World Series, yet I wish it had been with a team other than a hated division rival (or Houston). Dave Winfield, who battled Mattingly for the batting title in 1984, which Mattingly won on the season’s final day, won his only World Series with the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays. If the Blue Jays defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, he will be another former Yankee great who had to go north of the Border to find the game’s most fantastic prize. Although I have been a long-time Mattingly fan, I am pulling for the Dodgers to win the World Series. While I am not crazy about the Dodgers winning back-to-back titles, it is a better alternative than the Blue Jays as the World Series Champions. Ironically, Mattingly’s path to the World Series this year meant facing two of his former teams (he was the Dodgers manager before Dave Roberts).

Photo Credit: Hunter Martin/Getty Images

I was surprised when the Blue Jays crushed the Dodgers, 11-4, in the first game of the current World Series, but Yoshinobu Yamamoto's dominant complete-game pitching performance in Game Two last night, leading the Dodgers to a 5-1 win, sent the Series to Dodger Stadium with strong momentum for Game Three on Monday. The Dodgers’ starting pitchers will be the difference-maker in the Series despite Blake Snell’s clunker in the opener.

I cannot wait for the World Series to end and the Hot Stove League to open.

As always, Go Yankees!