About the Off-Season: Ready, or Not?

About the Off-Season: Ready, or Not? 

By Tim Kabel

November 16, 2025

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As the Yankees turn their focus to the 2026 season, there are some decisions that need to be made regarding the roster. At this point, the only two outfielders under contract for 2026 are Aaron Judge and Jasson Dominguez. Let's get one thing straight, Giancarlo Stanton should not be categorized as an outfielder. He did play some games out there last year but if he played too many or played on artificial turf, he would have to sit out a few games afterward. Putting Stanton in the outfield is playing with fire. It should be a last resort.

Actually, I have stated on the record that I think the Yankees should either trade or release Stanton heading into next year. I stand by that.

Two outfielders from the 2025 roster, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger, are both free agents. The Yankees extended a qualifying offer to Grisham, but reports are that he will reject it. I suspect that's what the Yankees wanted all along. The Yankees are reportedly very interested in bringing back Bellinger. I definitely think they should do so. I would also like to see them sign Harrison Bader, strictly as a backup outfielder because he has played here before and is a right-handed batter. He is also very good defensively.

Cody Bellinger had a very good season for the Yankees in 2025. He did everything that was asked of him. One of the main benefits of having him on the roster is that he can play multiple positions. He can play all three outfield positions very well and he is also an excellent fielding first baseman. Having him back for next year and beyond would give the Yankees a great deal of flexibility.

That brings us to the topic of Spencer Jones. I have read a lot of articles and heard broadcasts regarding Spencer Jones. Some people say he is definitely ready. Other people say he is definitely not ready to be in the Major Leagues. Well, I believe that Spencer Jones is in the plans for the Yankees for 2026. I'm not saying that they are committing to him as the starting centerfielder. However, I believe he will get an opportunity to earn that spot. Right now, he is working out regularly at Yankee Stadium. According to Brian Cashman, Jones will be heading down to Tampa early to begin working out before Spring Training. He is not sitting on his couch eating peanuts. He is working to improve his game.  

Last season, Jones broke out offensively and moved from AA Somerset to AAA Scranton Wilkes Barre. Near the end of the season, he had some back issues which affected his productivity. However, he finished the season batting .274. The interesting thing is that he batted exactly .274 in both AA and AAA. His OPS between both leagues was .932. He hit a total of 35 home runs and had 80 RBI. He had 29 stolen bases and was caught stealing 6 times. Now, this is the thing that gets everyone in a tizzy. He struck out a total of 179 times. I can imagine people reading that and spitting out their coffee and saying Jones will never be successful in the Major Leagues. Would you prefer that he had grounded out to the second baseman or the shortstop 179 times? Here's another statistic, grounding into double plays. Last year, between AA and AAA, Spencer Jones grounded into a grand total of 4 double plays. He did it twice in AA and twice in AAA. That's it: 4. Last year, Anthony Volpe grounded into 10 double plays. Aaron Judge, who is the best player in the American League, grounded into 16. The point is that a strikeout although it looks ugly, it's just an out. And it's one out, not two.

Some people complain that Spencer Jones did not hit for a very high average. He batted .274. Anthony Volpe batted .211. Ryan McMahon batted 215. Trent Grisham batted .235.

Spencer Jones is considered to be an exceptional defensive centerfielder.

This is what I think the Yankees should do, they should resign Cody Bellinger. I stated in an earlier article that it would be nice to have Ben Rice and Austin Wells both in the lineup, with Wells catching and Rice playing first base, I think it would be better to have Cody Bellinger and Ben Rice both in the lineup with Rice catching and Bellinger playing first base. Before you spit your coffee out again, remember Rice came up as a catcher. First base is his secondary position. Several members of the Yankees coaching staff and pitchers praised Rice's job as a catcher. I do not think the Yankees would be taking very much of a step backward by making Rice the primary catcher. I like Austin Wells.; I just like Cody Bellinger more.

So, if the Yankees re-sign Bellinger, they can bring Spencer Jones to Spring Training and give him the opportunity to make the team. If he does, the Yankees can move Bellinger to first base and then trade Austin Wells. They don't have to do that today. Another aspect of this is that injuries unfortunately are part of the game. Someone could get hurt either in the off-season or in Spring Training. Regardless, it is imperative that the Yankees bring Cody Bellinger back. If he can play first base and Spencer Jones is indeed ready to be the centerfielder, that will give the team a strong defense and it will give them flexibility. If for any reason Jones struggles or needs to regroup by taking a few days off, Bellinger could be moved back to centerfield or if they signed Harrison Bader, he could play a few extra games out there. The point is that Spencer Jones is getting himself ready. We will see how successful he is very soon.