NEW YORK -- It took only a few days for workers to flip the signage at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., reverting the facility to its familiar Spring Training appearance, wiping clean all indications that the Rays used it as their temporary home for 81 games. Reconstructing the Yankees’ roster for 2026 has required more time. Nearly a month after general manager Brian Cashman exited the Winter Meetings in Orlando, offering a harsh self-critique -- “I haven’t accomplished anything yet,” he said -- the sleepy winter landscape may be about to change. First, a brief recap: The heavy lifting thus far has been to bring back players from ’25, most prominently Trent Grisham, who accepted a $22.025 million qualifying offer in November. Other returning Yankees include left-hander Tim Hill, infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario and swingman Ryan Yarbrough. The Yankees have made no secret of their desire to re-sign Cody Bellinger, now reported to have multiple offers on the table for the infielder/outfielder who batted .272 with 29 homers and 98 RBIs in 152 games last season. They have competition for the 30-year-old, with agent Scott Boras recently describing a crowded field -- one that appears to include Bellinger’s other previous teams, the Dodgers and Cubs, among others. “Scott Boras has a very deep roster of players he’s looking to place,” Cashman said. “How and when he strategically decides to do that -- we just stay in touch with the marketplace and see where that takes him, and therefore us.” |
Ideally, the Yankees would plug Bellinger back into left field as the final piece of an outfield that also features Grisham and Aaron Judge, the American League’s reigning Most Valuable Player. At present, Jasson Domínguez would be the front-runner to play left field, with prospect Spencer Jones also in the mix. Seemingly as a fallback in the event Bellinger signs elsewhere, the Yankees have reportedly checked in with free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, who could theoretically play shortstop while Anthony Volpe recovers from left shoulder surgery but would profile better at second base or third base long-term. The Yanks have also been connected to trade talks for the Marlins’ Edward Cabrera after recently doing background work on the hard-throwing right-hander. The 27-year-old Cabrera was 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA in 26 starts for Miami last season, scattering 121 hits in 137 2/3 innings, with 150 strikeouts against 48 walks. |
New York’s interest in Cabrera indicates concern about the health of their rotation, which will be compromised to begin the year, with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt all recovering from surgery. Rodón is the closest to returning, expected to be pitching in exhibition games by March and potentially back on a big league mound in April. Cole is targeting May or June, with Schmidt a second-half possibility. The Yankees have also been linked to trade talks for Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta, a free agent after this season. “We have a strong team,” Cashman said in December. “The job is to make it better and make it stronger.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
• The Yankees made their first pickup of the new year on Sunday, adding depth by agreeing to a Minor League contract with veteran infielder Paul DeJong. More >> • Jazz Chisholm Jr. returned to his old Miami stomping grounds this past weekend, cheering on the Rangers against the Panthers in the NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot Park. Chisholm was accompanied by his new fiancée, Ahnalys Santiago. More >>
• I recently had the honor and responsibility of filling out my first BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot. Here were my choices, and the explanations behind my thought process. More >>
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Until the 2025 American League Division Series, the Yankees and Blue Jays had not faced each other in the postseason. There are three remaining clubs the Yanks have not seen in the playoffs. Who are they? A. Brewers, Nationals, Rockies B. Cardinals, Marlins, Rays C. Nationals, Rockies, White Sox D. Padres, Rockies, White Sox |
THIS DATE IN YANKEES HISTORY |
Jan. 5, 1920: In a transaction that changed the trajectories of two franchises, the Yankees’ purchase of Babe Ruth from the Red Sox was officially announced. The $100,000 deal had been completed days earlier, prompting this comment from Yankees co-owner Jacob Ruppert: “The fans can rest assured we by no means intend to stop there. Eventually, we are going to have the best team that has ever been seen anywhere.” |
C. Nationals, Rockies, White Sox Of this group, it’s probably most surprising that the Yankees and White Sox have yet to go head to head in the playoffs, considering their rich respective histories. They had close calls in 2000 and ‘05. |
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