The New York Yankees had a quiet offseason as the front office felt good about their current group.
The Yankees’ focus was on bringing back Cody Bellinger, which the team did. Yet, former MLB general manager and now MLB insider Jim Bowden was very critical of New York’s offseason and gave them an offseason grade of a C.
“The Yankees made re-signing Cody Bellinger their No. 1 priority this offseason,” Bowden wrote. “Although it took them until mid-January to get a deal done, at least they got it over the finish line, which in turn allows them to basically run back the team that went 94-68 last season, tying the Blue Jays for the most wins in the AL. The only other significant move the Yankees made was the trade for lefty Ryan Weathers, who helps their starting pitching depth.”
Despite New York not having the most aggressive offseason, the team still has one of the top rosters in all of baseball.
The Yankees enter the season with the second-best odds of winning the World Series at +950. But Bowden predicts New York will finish second in the AL East again.
Yankees Offseason Move Surprised Many
New York’s offseason started off with a surprise, as the Yankees issued a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham.
Although Grisham was a key player for the Yankees last year, Bowden was surprised he got the QO. The outfielder ended up accepting it, which now could make Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones expendable.
“They surprised the industry by giving outfielder Trent Grisham the qualifying offer, which he accepted,” Bowden wrote. “With Grisham and Bellinger returning, young outfielders Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones will likely have to wait. Or be traded, to get a real opportunity to become everyday players.
“The Yankees will be counting on Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Anthony Volpe to successfully return from their injuries after starting the season on the IL. They are hopeful Volpe, Austin Wells, and Ben Rice will have breakout seasons.”
Ultimately, the Yankees will be banking on players to return to form in 2026 to have success. That is the biggest question mark for New York, according to Bowden.
“Can Cole and Rodón bounce back from their injuries to give the Yankees one of the best starting rotations in baseball?,” Bowden added.
Brian Cashman Happy With Roster
Although the Yankees didn’t have a very active offseason, general manager Brian Cashman is pleased with his group.
Cashman denied that the team is running back the same team. Instead, he felt like all the injuries they had and the players they got at the deadline would make the team better in 2026.
“We added weapons at the deadline,” Cashman said. “All that will serve us well. So, I disagree that it’s the same team; there are going to be some differences. The competition is going to be different, too. Some teams got better, and other teams you could argue maybe got worse. Our division is the best in baseball. Long story short, one series make-or-break isn’t going to define what we think our capabilities are.”
So, Cashman has full confidence that the Yankees will once again be an elite team in 2026.
Yankees Handed Surprising Offseason Grade After Minimal Moves