About the Off-Season: Filling My Stocking

About the Off-Season: Filling My Stocking

By Tim Kabel

December 24, 2025

***

It is Christmas Eve. Once again, the Yankees have done nothing this week and with the holidays upon us, I don't imagine they will make any moves the rest of this week. Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner seem to be in hibernation mode. I and many others keep encouraging them to make moves but to this point, they haven't. Yes, they have signed a lot of minor league cast-offs and role players, but they haven't done anything substantive. Will they? A couple of weeks ago I would have said definitely, but now I think the best answer is that it remains to be seen. Your guess is as good as mine.

Since the Yankees have not actually made any efforts toward building the roster for the 2026 team. I'm going to go over the heads of Brian Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner. I'm going straight to the big man. No, I don't mean dr. Semendinger. I mean Santa Claus.

I'm going to ask Santa for the Yankees team that I want to see on the field next year. I'm going to be realistic. That is important. When little kids ask Santa to bring them a pony and they live in a two-room flat in the city, it's probably not going to happen. I'm asking Santa to do what is needed to make this the team that will play for the Yankees next year.

As one fat man with a beard to another, I'm asking for this special request. This is the team I want in 2026 for the New York Yankees:

Catcher- Austin Wells

First base- Ben Rice

Second base -  Bo Bichette

Third base- Kazuma Okamoto

Shortstop- Corey Seager

Leftfield- Jasson Dominguez

Centerfield- Spencer Jones

Rightfield-  Aaron Judge

DH- Randy Arozarena

Bench- Trent Grisham, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jose Caballero, Amed Rosario, Kyle Higashioka

Starting Rotation (Opening Day)- Max Fried, Luis Gil, Will Warren, Tatsuya Imai, Cam Schlittler

Bullpen- Ryan Yarbrough, Tim Hill. Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick/ Cade Winquest, Carlos Lagrange, David Bednar, 

Lineup-

Dominguez-                      LF

Bichette-                            2B

Judge-                                RF

Rice-                                   1B

Okamoto-                            3B

Seager-                               SS

Arozarena-                          DH

Wells-                                  C

Jones-                                 CF

This is the team I am asking Santa to bring me for 2026. I may not have been very good this year but, I think we can overlook that.

What team do you want in your stocking?