The Yankees have largely opted for the status quo because the 2026 club will look very similar to the 2025 version. A few small differences can take things a step further.
Major League Recruitment
2026 spending: $855.525 billion
Total Spending: $195.525MM
Transactions and Billing
Deciding on Options
Notable Minor League Contracts
- Rafael Montero, Randall Grichuk, Paul DeJong, Seth Brown, Jonathan Ornellas, michael arias, Yerry Rodriguez, Ali Sanchez, jack short, Adam Kloppenstein, payton henry, Dylan Coleman
expansion
notable losses
There were a lot of good things about the 2025 Yankees, but they fell just short of the end goal. They won 94 games in the regular season, as did the Blue Jays, and Toronto only clinched the division title under tiebreaker rules. The Yankees earned a wild card spot and defeated the Red Sox, but lost to the Jays in the Division Series.
Come the 2025-26 offseason, many key pieces will remain the same. The area most likely to change was the outfield, which was a strength in 2025. Aaron Judge He won his third American League MVP award. Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham Had a productive season (the latter a breakout, best year of his career). Grisham and Bellinger headed to free agency as the offseason began, with Bellinger triggering an opt-out from his previous contract.
In theory, the Yankees could turn to some internal replacements, but there would be great risk there. Jason Dominguez 2025 has been a choppy year. His attacks were decent, but not very exciting. In 429 plate appearances, he hit only 10 home runs. A 9.6% walk rate helped his on-base percentage, resulting in a .257/.331/.388 line and a 103 wRC+. He stole 23 bases but performed poorly in left field. His minus-7 ERA and minus-10 outings above average were the lowest among big league outfielders.
There is also spencer jonesHe hit 35 home runs on the farm last year, including 19 home runs in Triple-A. However, he hit a home run while striking out in 35.4% of his plate appearances. Perhaps he struck out more often against better competition in the big leagues. No major leaguer eligible in 2025 has a strikeout rate higher than 32.3%.
With some questions about Domínguez and Jones, and the Yankees, who are always in winning mode, it seemed like the outfield would be a priority. One spot was quickly filled as Grisham somewhat surprisingly accepted a qualifying offer. His career wasn’t all that impressive before 2025, but the breakout was extreme. He hit 34 home runs and walked at a rate of 14.1%. Grisham’s .235/.348/.464 line resulted in a 129 wRC+. Although his defensive performance dipped, he was considered a strong defender in every other season of his career, so it’s possible that last year’s downturn was more of a blip during the year than a true decline.
Skeptics may point to Grisham’s bigger body of work with a .191/.298/.353 line over the previous three seasons combined, but there was reason to believe Grisham could cash in on those strong seasons. Just one offseason ago, Jurickson Profar That’s exactly what it was. After years of subpar performance, Profar capped his strong 2024 season with a three-year, $42 million contract with Atlanta. Since Grisham entered free agency younger and with a better defensive reputation, there was a case to be made for exceeding Profar’s guarantee.
MLBTR projected that Grisham could earn $66 million over four years, even including QOs, but he decided to return to the Bronx for just one year for $22.025 million. A multi-year contract with the same annual value may not have existed, but a three- or four-year contract at a lighter price with a larger overall warranty would likely have been possible. Grisham would be a bargain for the Yankees if he can get anywhere close to last year’s performance, which would allow him to sign a major contract next winter.
With Grisham back in the fold, the Yankees still had one outfield spot to consider. They have been linked to various names through free agency and trades. Kyle Tucker, Louis Robert Jr. But reuniting with Bellinger was always meaningful. He thrived during his year in the Bronx. Bellinger hit .272/.334/.480 with a 125 wRC+ on the year, but he posted a whopping .302/.365/.544 line and a 152 wRC+ when playing the short porch at Yankee Stadium.
Although the two seemed like a perfect match for each other, their courtship process was nevertheless delayed. Bellinger remained on the open market until January. Reports trickled in that the Yankees had made another offer to him. There was reportedly a stalemate, with the Yankees offering a five-year contract and Bellinger seeking a longer contract, but the two sides finally reached an agreement in late January.
The $162.5 million guarantee and five-year term were within expectations. MLBTR expected five years guaranteed and a slightly lower $140 million. The Bellinger deal is particularly noteworthy in that it is frontloaded and has two opt-outs. He will receive a $20 million signing bonus and a high salary of $32.5 million in the first two years, and just under $26 million in the final three years. He can opt out after 2027 and 2028, allowing him to save $85 million over the first two years and then return to the open market after his age-31 season. Due to the nature of the transaction, Bellinger’s competitive balance tax hit will be higher than usual.
After Bellinger returned, there was speculation that Domínguez and/or Jones could be on the trade block. But so far there’s no strong indication that the Yankees have considered that route. With Grisham only signed for one more year and Bellinger likely to opt out after 2027, these young guys have future opportunities.
Outfielders were the main target, but rotation also needed to be considered. the yankees will get Gerrit Cole He’ll recover from Tommy John surgery in 2025 and return at some point in 2026, but he still won’t be ready by Opening Day. they won’t be there either Carlos Rodon To start the season, he had surgery to remove a loose body from his elbow. clark schmidt He had UCL surgery last July and is scheduled to start the season on the shelf.
The Yankees have been linked to some high-profile players over the winter, including: Framber Valdez, Edward Cabrera, michael king, Freddie Peralta, Tatsuya Imai and Mackenzie Gore. Their rotation strike ended up being less flashy than that option. They sent four prospects to the Marlins to acquire a left-handed pitcher. ryan weathers.
Weathers was once a notable prospect and showed some major league potential, but the sample size wasn’t long. He performed well for the Marlins in 2024 and 2025, but was limited by injuries in both seasons. He pitched 125 innings over two seasons, posting a 3.74 ERA, 22% strikeout rate, 6.8% walk rate, and 45.6% ground ball rate.
A more proven arm might have been better, but the nice thing about Weathers is that he has three more years of control and still has options left. You have to do a rotation with that person. max pride, Cam Schlittler, will warren and louis gill I’m about to start the season. Like Weathers, Schlittler, Warren and Gil each have options. If everyone is healthy when Rodón and Cole return, it’s possible that someone from that group will play in the minors. Meanwhile, the Yankees also came back. Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn He works as a veteran swingman.
Paul Goldschmidt He became a free agent after the 2025 season, but first base was not a big priority after that. ben rice I took that job. The Yankees were able to bring Goldie back for a modest $4 million deal, this time in what appeared to be a more complementary role. His bat was about league average in 2025, but he still outperformed left-handed pitchers. With the Yankees lineup skewing left-handed, Goldschmidt has a role to play. Ahmed Rosario They came back for similar reasons and also added the Yanks. Randall Grichuk through a minor league contract.
In the bullpen Devin Williams and luke weaver Although he is a free agent after 2025, the Yankees appear to have been actively trying to address the departure. Three relief packages have been added with a 2025 deadline. David Bednar, Camilo Taunt and jake bird. The Yankees may have felt less pressure to replace Williams and Weaver this winter, as all three will still be under club control in 2026.
Their most notable bullpen moves have been fairly modest. Angel Chivili From the Rocky Mountains. He remains unproven, posting a 6.18 ERA in 90 1/3 innings. The Yankees will hope that having him away from Coors Field will help. He has an interesting arsenal with high 90s velocity and a strong ground ball rate. Chivilli isn’t scheduled to be a free agent for at least five years and still has options. The Yankees also attacked. Cade Winquest In the draft Rule 5. He recorded an ERA of 3.99 in the minor league last year.
There was some conversation around me. Jazz Chisholm Jr. This offseason. As free agents are scheduled to become available after 2026, trade rumors have circulated, and the possibility of an extension has also been discussed. It seemed like there was absolutely no chance the Yankees would move on from him, and he actually still remains on the roster. The Yankees haven’t done much of an extension and haven’t done anything with Chisholm yet, but Chisholm said he’s keeping the possibility open. While it’s theoretically possible for momentum to build at any time, The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported this week that no substantive talks have yet taken place.
Ultimately, the roster will look very similar to last year. shortstop Anthony Wolff He is set to miss some time due to off-season shoulder surgery, but could rejoin the club in April. Jose Caballero I’ll cover that in a moment. Other than that, the group of position players is essentially the same. There is a bit more change in terms of pitching, but I think there will be a lot of consistency in the staff as well.
Actually there is no problem. The Yankees were one of the best teams in the league last year. For the most part, going back to the same team will put them in a really good position again. It might be a little better. They will bring Cole back at some point, which will give them a boost and get a full season from Schlittler, who just debuted last July. If Weathers can stay healthy, he would be another potential bonus. If any obvious deficiencies emerge in the coming months, the Yankees could address them at the deadline, but for now it’s more about fixing the roster than overhauling it.
How would you rate the Yankees’ offseason?
Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
