About the Off-Season: What’s Next?

About the Off-Season: What’s Next?

By Tim Kabel

November 23, 2025

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This week, the Yankees added minor leaguers Spencer Jones, Chase Hampton, and Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz to the Major League roster. They then non-tendered Mark Leiter, Jr., Ian Hamilton, Scott Effross, Jake Cousins, and Michael Arias. In addition, Trent Grisham accepted the Yankees’ qualifying offer and will be back on the team next year with a $22 million contract. The most surprising one of those developments was the return of Grisham. Many people, me included, thought that Grisham would prefer to seek a longer contract. Maybe he and his agent determined that was unlikely to be found. Regardless, unless the Yankees can trade him, and I believe they can't trade him until June, he will be on the team all year.

At this point, the roster is unlikely to have much internal tweaking. The only reason that players will be added or released going forward would be due to free agent signings or trades.

It is clear that the Yankees need to make improvements. The question now becomes how much improvement they will make. Will they look to simply tweak what they already have, or will they look to upgrade seriously where they can and probably should? In other words, will they maintain a left side of the infield with the light hitting Ryan McMahon and the equally light hitting Anthony Volpe when he returns from the IL? I have advocated for the Yankees to sign Bo Bichette to play shortstop and to sign either Alex Bregman or Kazuma Okamoto, who was just posted. Of the two options for third base, I would prefer Okamoto, because he would cost less, allowing the Yankees more roster flexibility and he is younger than Bregman. Okamoto is probably not as good a fielder as McMahon but he would probably be a superior hitter and he is also a right-handed hitter, which the Yankees could use. Volpe and McMahon could then be traded.

The Yankees are reportedly pursuing Cody Bellinger. Many people feel that because they brought Trent Grisham back, they will not be able to sign Bellinger. That is not true. They were both on the team last year, they could both be on the team again in 2026. Besides, that presumes that Bellinger would play the outfield. What if he plays first base? I have suggested that the Yankees lineup would be better with Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger than it would be with Ben Rice and Austin Wells. The good thing about both Rice and Bellinger is that they offer defensive flexibility. Rice began catching more in the second half of 2025.  He came to the Yankees as a catcher. He converted to first base. He was considered to be a solid defensive catcher. Some of the pitchers seemingly preferred to throw to him. That was the case with Will Warren, who pitched while Rice was catching in the minor leagues.

Don't get me wrong. I like Austin Wells. I also like Ben Rice. I think that between the two of them, Rice has much more offensive potential. If Rice could not catch, and Bellinger returned, he would have to play the outfield. 

The Yankees need to upgrade their team, particularly the offense and they need to be creative.

As I wrote the other day, Trent Grisham is guaranteed a contract for 2026. He is not guaranteed playing time. If 2025 was an outlier season, and a statistical anomaly that will not be repeated by Grisham, he can return to the role of a backup outfielder. If Spencer Jones comes into Spring Training hitting the way he did last year in the minor leagues, particularly before he had his back issues, he should be given a chance to be the starting centerfielder. He is considered to be a superior defensive center fielder to Grisham. Jasson Dominguez needs to be given regular playing time in leftfield. If on some occasions, Bellinger plays the outfield, Rice could then shift to first base and whoever the backup catcher is could play.

I and many others have written that the Yankee should move on from Giancarlo Stanton. If they are able to trade him that would be wonderful. If not, they may have to consider releasing him. Last year, he was actually better during the regular season than he was during the postseason, but that has not been his pattern. He also is very injury prone and even if he is not traded or released, he will conceivably miss about a third of the season anyway. The Yankees could find at bats for Grisham that way if they desired. However, if they bring in a regular designated hitter, such as Kyle Schwarber or someone else, that might be a better option.

The question is: Do the Yankees want to be legitimate contenders? Do they want to seriously upgrade the team or just patch a few leaks and throw on a fresh coat of paint? Maintaining a starting infield with Volpe and McMahon is not going to get the job done. Not bringing back Bellinger is not a good idea. Not bringing in people who will seriously upgrade the team in all facets is not going to be good enough. Hal Steinbrenner is going to have to completely open his wallet not just in limited, controlled, spending situations like bringing back Aaron Judge or signing Gerrit Cole. Half measures won't work. 

If the Yankees want to overtake the Blue Jays in the American League and be able to beat the Dodgers, then Hal Steinbrenner needs to take a deep breath and truly commit to bringing in the best players possible. Some of those players may be youngsters on the way up, like Dominguez and Jones. Remember Ben Rice did not have a tremendous 2024 season, but he improved greatly last year. The Yankees have set the stage to build the roster. Now, they must go out and do it and they have to commit to it completely.