Perspectives: The Big Signings (So Far?)

By Paul Semendinger

December 15, 2025

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Remember when Yankees fans would get excited because the Yankees signed great players? From Catfish and Reggie to Gerrit Cole and everyone in between. I remember Winfield and Gossage and Giambi and Jack Clark. And Mike Mussina and Hideki Matsui. And so many more.

The Yankees also make big trades: Rickey Henderson, A-Rod, even, two years ago, Juan Soto.

I miss those days.

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Before I go further, I need to make a very clear statement.

I think the signings of Amed Rosario and Ryan Yarbrough were good signings. Solid. These should be decent depth pieces for the team. A team needs depth. Please do not misunderstand what is written below, but also understand what we're watching.

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Last week, the Yankees re-signed a player who averages 1.14 WAR per year.

Of note, Rosario has a lifetime OPS+, over nine seasons, of 95. (In other words, he has been a below average Major League hitter.)

His dWAR for his career is a negative.

This is a player who in any single season has never hit even .290. This is a player who has never hit more than 15 homers or driven home even 75 runs in a season. He has never had an On Base Percentage above .323. He has never slugged higher than .436.

The Yankees were his 7th team in 6 seasons since 2020.

This is Amed Rosario.

Now, don't get me wrong. He's a nice player. He's a good player to have around. He could be a solid bat off the bench to pinch hit against a left-handed pitcher. He can play multiple positions.

He is the type of player championship teams need. He gives the Yankees depth. He's a nice player to have. But he's not a player who is going to make the 2025 Yankees champions. Far from it.

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A few weeks ago the Yankees re-signed a pitcher who is on his fifth team in eight seasons, one who has never won even 10 games in a season since 2020, who has a lifetime ERA of 4.22, and a lifetime ERA+ of 98. (In other words, for his career, he's a slightly below-average pitcher). This, of course, is Ryan Yarbrough.

Yarbrough averages 0.66 WAR per season across his career.

Again, Yarbrough could be a necessary piece of a championship squad. He's not a difference maker.

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The problem is that these have been the big moves thus far by the Yankees.

We used to get "LATEST SUPERSTAR COMING TO THE BRONX!"

Now the best we get are the last bench guy and a good bullpen arm returning.

And those are the big moves the team has made through mid-December.

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Times have certainly changed.