Perspectives: March 3, 2026

by Paul Semendinger

March 3, 2026

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New reports indicate that the Yankees were trying to trade for Corey Seager over the winter. Without getting into whether that makes sense, or what that really says about their commitment to (or belief in) Anthony Volpe, I have a bigger point.

Every spring, reports come out that over the winter the Yankees were "engaged in talks with...," "discussed acquiring...," "were close to finalizing a deal for...", "made an offer to...", and the like.

We get these same reports after the trade deadline every year.

This is a relatively new experience for long-time Yankees fans.

I remember when the Yankees used to sign the good players. I remember when the Yankees used to make bold trades. I remember when the Yankees used to accomplish their goals.

For the last many years there have been many excuses for the Yankees not signing the players they were after, not making trades for the players they want, or need, and not winning World Series.

The one thing the Yankees seem to be very good at is making excuses for failing to achieve their objectives.

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It seems that Cody Bellinger isn't playing in the WBC because he felt he had a commitment to the team that is paying him to play baseball.

Good For Him!

Yes, yes, and yes.

I agree with Bellinger, 100% on this. He is a New York Yankee. The New York Yankees are paying him. He should be with the New York Yankees getting ready for the season.

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I won't watch the WBC. I don't care about the WBC. I wish all the Yankees were in camp working as a team to bring a World Series Championship back to the Bronx.

That's what matters to this Yankees fan, not some tournament.

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Quick Quiz - Who was the MVP of the 2013 WBC?

(If the WBC mattered, wouldn't most fans know this?)

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One point that so many seem to miss when discussing the Yankees payroll is that while they spend a lot of money, they still don't spend what is necessary to win. When they need to invest more, they stop spending.

Once the Yankees decided to spend huge on Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, and others, they still had to spend big to address the other areas of concern on the roster. This is what so many don't understand. A team can have a big payroll, but still spend (or more accurately, not spend) in ways that damage the product.

One can spend big and still make foolish decisions by not addressing areas of weakness.

Let me give a non-baseball illustration.

A lot of decisions go into purchasing a new car. One of those decisions is the initial cost. Another decision is the car's gas mileage and the types of gas the car requires. Yet another decision is the short and long-term repair costs.

Many years ago I bought a nice car and was advised that that specific car required premium gasoline at every fill-up. I had a more expensive car, but to maintain its expected performance, I needed to keep spending. I wasn't cheap in my purchasing, but if I was going to become cheap in future gas expenditures, my car wouldn't run as it should. The performance would be lacking. I spent big and I had to keep spending.

The Yankees spend big. Of course they do, but then they address this by cutting corners in other areas - like putting regular unleaded in a car that needs higher octane.

Another time, we purchased a sharp German automobile for my wife. She loved that car. At each required maintenance, we had to spend more money because the parts for this car were much more expensive than other models. We could have ignored some of the suggested maintenance, but to do so would have negatively impacted on the car's lifespan and performance. We spent good money - but we didn't then say, "we shouldn't have to spend this much" (as the Yankees do). Once we went in that direction, we had to keep spending.

Another example -

My mother-in-law was a real estate agent in Bergen County, New Jersey. She sold, or listed, or toured houses in some of the wealthiest towns in the country such as Saddle River, Franklin Lakes, and Alpine, among others. She noted that after many huge homes were purchased, the people who lived in them couldn't properly furnish them. These people certainly were not cheap, they spent big money, but they then cut corners and sat in folding beach chairs in their living rooms.

This is the Yankees. They buy the big house or the expensive car. But they then put regular gasoline into the car, they ignore some of the maintenance schedule, and when it becomes time to make a repair, they often find off-market parts that will not help (and will most likely hurt) the car's performance.

The Yankees have Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole and others, but they have never gone all the way to build the great team around them. One cannot say they are cheap, but one cannot also say they spend their money wisely.

Sometimes to try to fix the problem of the poor performing luxury sports car, one the Yankees didn't maintain properly, they then spend make poor decisions (such as spending too much on Josh Donaldson (or many others) - players that eat up payroll, but don't help the product. For my car illustration, these players might be some unnecessary detailing or new interior speakers that don't enhance the car's performance).

If one is going to purchase a high-performance vehicle, it's not a one-time cost. To maintain that car, to get its best performance, one has to keep spending. It's the keeping spending part of this that the Yankees have problems with - which is why they continually fall short of winning the World Series.

The Dodgers do not operate this way. They have their Ferrari. They then give that car the best fuel. They then put the best tires on that car. They enhance the engine with even more premium parts and upgrades. They have the best auto out there - and they continually make it better. That's why they win.

The Yankees have the fancy car. But they often put inferior gas in the tank. They buy poor parts.

The Yankees also put a mediocre driver in their car, one that doesn't handle the car well. In fact, before he became the driver, he had never even been behind the wheel of a luxury sportscar, but that's another discussion.

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Quick Quiz Answer - Robinson Cano was the WBC MVP in 2013.

Okay, I'll make this easier, since it's more recent...

Who was the MVP of the 2017 WBC?

The MVP of the 2017 WBC was Marcus Stroman.

In 2017, Stroman pitched all of 15 innings in three starts. He won one game. He was the MVP.

The WBC isn't the culmination of a months-long struggle like the World Series. It's a round-robin scrimmage where one victory can earn a pitcher the MVP.

I simply have no interest in the WBC and wish the Yankees players were all working together to bring a championship to the Bronx.

Of course, maybe Aaron Judge realizes that winning the WBC for the USA might be the only chance he ever has to see what it is like to be a champion. Maybe he knows that it isn't happening in the Bronx any time soon...

And, I wish Judge and his teammates luck. Go USA! (I just won't be watching.)