About the Off-Season: And So, It Begins
- Tim Kabel
- Nov 20, 2025
- 2 min read
About the Off-Season: And So, It Begins
By Tim Kabel
November 20, 2025
***
The Yankees have begun the process of building the roster for the 2026 season.
The most recent big news was that Trent Grisham accepted the Yankees’ qualifying offer for a contract for 2026.
It seems Grisham decided to go for the security of a contract rather than gamble on free agency.
I'm not displeased. The Yankees can still bring back Cody Bellinger and have him play first. They could always trade Grisham too. If Grisham does stay and revert to his pre-2025 form, he could once again become a back-up outfielder if, for example, Spencer Jones bursts onto the scene.
My only concern is that if Grisham returns to being the player, he always was before 2025. In that scenario, i fear Aaron Boone will just keep throwing him out there day after day instead of letting one of the young guys play. Boone does not have the ability to adjust or recognize if Grisham is more suited to being the back-up.
The Yankees did something else before the Grisham situation was resolved or the 40-man roster was finalized. They made a free agent signing. It was their first signing of this off-season. Brace yourselves. The player they signed was... Ryan Yarbrough. On the surface, that may seem to be a very underwhelming move. It is not a major move. However, it is an important one. It is also a very smart move.
Bringing Yarbrough back provides the Yankees with stability, flexibility, and insurance. It is a one-year contract reportedly worth $2.5 million. That qualifies as an excellent move. Until he was injured last year, Yarbrough was a solid member of the Yankees’ pitching staff.
The Yankees are expected to be shorthanded at the beginning of the season in the starting rotation as both Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole will be healing from injuries and surgery. Yarbrough could fill a slot in the rotation until either Rodon or Cole returned. After that, he could be the long man in the bullpen or make a spot start if needed. I and others have advocated this since the end of the season.
Signing Yarborough also removes the urgency of trying to get someone as a stopgap measure, such as the Yankees did with Carlos Carrasco last year. They don't need to try to bring in a middle of the road, fifth starter type. Instead, the Yankees could look to bring in someone who could potentially be a key contributor as a starting pitcher. For example, they could sign Tetsuya Imai from Japan. Having Yarbrough on the team would be good to provide some insurance for Imai as he transitions to the Major Leagues.
There is no real downside to the Yankees bringing in Yarbrough on a one-year contract. The pieces are being moved. The 2026 Yankees are taking shape.
The plan appears to be running it back with basically the same roster as 2025, possibly minus Bellinger. The same roster that got embarrassed in the ALDS. The same roster, mostly, that got embarrassed in the 2024 WS. The same roster that got embarrassed this past season by the Dodgers, Jays, sux and pretty much every other decent team they faced. Yeah 2026 should be real fun for Yankee fans (sarcasm BTW). This organization has fallen so far from the elite one they used to be.
Having trouble commenting, everything is getting flagged. See StatCast. Range & Footspeed are different things. Volpe moves very poorly laterally, towards third base. The weak arm & that issue don't bode well. BTW he's 75th percentile in terms of Footspeed and he's parlayed that into being pretty good on the base paths.
Both players fit for the time being but to expect Grisham to repeat last year's production is a stretch... if Jones shows out in ST then Grisham is expendable in a trade at some point next year.
The Yankees dilemma concerning Grisham was that despite his slipping defense, he was far and away the best centerfielder currently on the market. Luis Robert or Harrison Bader, anyone? Bellinger is fine on a temporary basis but not as a full timer. The options were trusting a youngster or bringing in a lesser player. So, it made sense to bring him back. However, maybe it was better to extend him for 2 or 3 years at a lesser AAV than doing the QO. It certainly appeared that he wanted a return.
Yarbrough is a no brainer move. He is a valued, I will say potentially key, member of the staff. Especially at that price. If only all moves could be…
Cashman plays money. Grisham's 2026 salary almost literally demands the only way he isn't a regular in the lineup is if he's not on the roster.
If Bellinger is moved to 1B, then Rice or Wells will be traded. Now, do you want to go after Joe Ryan or McKenzie Gore?
Yes, Yarbrough has always been a decent jack of all pitching jobs, never spectacularly, but always doing a decent job. Oh, and it's only a one year
deal.
But Cashman laid a HUGE egg on Tuesday with the 40 man roster set. If Bellinger is re-signed or they decide to keep both Rice & Wells, losing 1B TJ Rumfield is good for him and the Yankees. But reliever Harriso…