The Yankees have largely opted for the status quo, as their 2026 club will look very similar to the 2025 version. Small differences can make them go up.
Major League signing
2026 Spending: $85.525MM
Amount spent: $195.525MM
Trade and Applications
Selection Decisions
Notable Minor League signing
- Rafael Montero, Randal Grichuk, Paul DeJong, Seth Brown, Jonathan Ornelas, Michael Arias, Yerry Rodríguez, Ali Sánchez, Zack Short, Adam Kloffenstein, Payton Henry, Dylan Coleman
Extensions
Significant Loss
The Yankees had a lot to like in 2025, but they came up just short of the final goal. They won 94 games in the regular season, the same as the Blue Jays, and Toronto only captured the division title based on offense rules. The Yanks earned a Wild Card spot and eliminated the Red Sox but were eliminated by the Jays in the Division Series.
Heading into the 2025-26 offseason, many key pieces will remain in place. The area with the greatest potential for change was the outdoor arena, which was strong in 2025. Aaron is the judge won his third American League MVP Award. Cody Bellinger again Trent Grisham I enjoyed the productive seasons (break year, best career year in the latter case). Grisham and Bellinger are both headed for free agency at the start of the season, ultimately opening up his previous contract.
Theoretically, the Yankees could have turned to other infield positions, but there would have been greater risks there. Jason Domínguez have an odd year in 2025. His case was passable but not very exciting. In 429 plate appearances, he hit just ten home runs. A 9.6% walk rate helped his on-base percentage, leading to a .257/.331/.388 line and a 103 wRC+. He stole 23 bases but received poor marks for his defense in left field. His minus-7 Defensive Runs Saved and minus-10 Outs Above Average were some of the lowest among non-major league players.
There is also Spencer Joneswho crushed 35 runners on the farm last year, including 19 in Triple-A. However, he dispatched those players while striking out 35.4% of his plate appearances. Presumably, he would have played more often against better competition in the big leagues. No professional major leaguer has a hit rate higher than 32.3% in 2025.
With more questions about Domínguez and Jones, and the Yankees sitting in win mode right now, it seemed like the outfield would be a priority. One spot filled up quickly, as Grisham surprisingly accepted the offer. His career wasn’t great before 2025, but the breakout was extreme. He hit 34 home runs and drew walks at a 14.1% clip. Grisham’s .235/.348/.464 line led to a 129 wRC+. His defensive grades dropped, but he was considered a strong hitter every other season of his career, so it’s possible that last year’s decline was more of a one-year, one-year phenomenon than a true decline.
Doubters may point to Grisham’s great body of work, with a .191/.298/.353 line over the past three seasons combined, but there were reasons to believe Grisham could cash in on that strong season. Just one season before, Jurickson Profar he did that. After years of limited play, Profar parlayed his strong 2024 season into a three-year, $42MM deal with Atlanta. Grisham entered free agency young and with a better defensive reputation, so he had a case to make before Profar’s guarantee.
MLBTR predicted that Grisham could earn $66MM over four years, even with QO attached, but he decided to return to the Bronx for just one year at $22.025MM. A multi-year contract at that same annual rate may not have been possible, but a three- or four-year deal at a lighter rate with more guarantees seems likely. Grisham would be a bargain for the Yankees if he could get anywhere near where he performed last year, and doing so would put him in position for a big contract next winter.
With Grisham back in the bullpen, the Yankees had one more outfield position to consider. They were linked to a variety of names in both free agency and trade, including Kyle Tucker, Luis Robert Jr. and others, but a reunion with Bellinger always made a lot of sense. He was successful in his one year in the Bronx. Bellinger hit .272/.334/.480 with a 125 wRC+ on the year overall but a .302/.365/.544 slash line and a 152 wRC+ when playing in Yankee Stadium with its short porch.
The two seemed to be a perfect match, but the dating process dragged on. Bellinger remained on the open market in January. There were reports that the Yankees made him an offer, and then another. There was reportedly a disagreement, with the Yankees offering five years and Bellinger wanting a longer deal, but the two sides finally reached an agreement in late January.
The $162.5MM guarantee and five-year term were within expectations. MLBTR had predicted five years and a minimum guarantee of $140MM. Bellinger’s deal was notable for being loaded up front and having two opt-outs. He’ll get a $20MM signing bonus and a whopping $32.5MM in salaries over the first two years, followed by just under $26MM in salaries over the last three. Since he can’t opt out after 2027 and 2028, he could potentially bank $85MM in the first two years and then hit the open market after his age-31 season. The nature of that deal means that Bellinger’s competitive balance sheet success will be higher than usual.
After Bellinger returned to the bullpen, there was speculation that Domínguez and/or Jones could end up on the trade floor. However, so far there are no strong indications that the Yankees are considering that route. With Grisham signed for another year and Bellinger potentially out after 2027, there are future opportunities available for those youngsters.
While the outfield was the main target, the perimeter also needed some consideration. The Yankees will be getting it Gerrit Cole back sometime in 2026, after spending 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery, but still won’t be ready for Opening Day. They will be outside Carlos Rodón to start the season, as he had elbow surgery. Clark Schmidt he underwent UCL surgery in July of last year and will start the season on the shelf.
The Yanks were linked to other big names over the winter, including Framber Valdez, Edward Cabrera, Michael King, Freddy Peralta, Tatsuya Imai again MacKenzie Gore. Their rotational strike ended up being less disruptive than those options. They sent four prospects to the Marlins for a lefty Ryan Weathers.
Weathers has been a notable prospect and has shown some flashes of power in the majors, but not over a long sample size. He had good results with the Marlins in 2024 and 2025 but another injury sidelined him for both seasons. He threw 125 innings over those two campaigns and produced a 3.74 earned run average, a 22% strikeout rate, a 6.8% walk rate and a 45.6% ground ball rate.
A more proven arm would have been preferred, but Weathers’ best advantage is that he has three years of control and still has an option left. He should get a job on the circuit nearby Fried Max, Cam Schlittler, Is Warren again Luis Gil to start the season. Like the weather, each of Schlittler, Warren and Gil can be selected. The lives of children on that team are possible if everyone is healthy when Rodón and Cole return. Meanwhile, the Yanks are also back Ryan Yarbrough again Paul Blackburn working like veteran skiers.
Paul Goldschmidt became a free agent after the 2025 season, but first base hasn’t been a priority since then Ben Rice he took that job. The Yanks were able to bring back Goldy in a $4MM deal, which looks like he’ll serve a complementary role this time around. His bat was almost league average in 2025, but he was still crushing the rest. With the Yankee lineup stacked in left field, there is a role for Goldschmidt. Amed Rosario it was brought back for the same reasons and the Yanks also added Randal Grichuk with a minor league deal.
In the bullpen, Devin Williams again Luke Weaver they become free agents after 2025, but the Yankees appear to be trying to deal with this departure further. The 2025 deadline, their three aid additions were David Bednar, Camilo Doval again Jake Bird. Since all three will be under club control through 2026, the Yanks may feel less pressure to replace Williams and Weaver this winter.
Their most notable bullpen moves were modest, as they gained Angel Chivilli from the Rockies. Unproven, he has a 6.18 ERA in 90 1/3 innings. The Yanks will hope that moving him away from Coors Field will help. He has an impressive arsenal with high 90s pace and solid ground ball rates. Chivilli is not scheduled for free agency for at least five years and still has an option remaining. The Yanks fired back Cade Winquest in Bill 5. He had a 3.99 ERA in the minors last year.
There was a conversation Jazz Chisholm Jr. this offseason. With him set to hit free agency after 2026, trade rumors and the possibility of an extension also came up. It never seemed likely that the Yanks would move on from him, and he’s still on their roster. The Yankees aren’t making many extensions and haven’t done anything for Chisholm, although he has said he’s open to opportunities. It’s theoretically possible for momentum to build at any time, but Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported this week that significant talks have yet to take place.
In the end, the list will look very similar to last year. Shortstop Anthony Volpe will miss some time due to off-season shoulder surgery but could join the club in April. José Caballero will close that area in the future. Other than that, the group of quality players is the same. There is more change on the pitching side, but the staff will have a lot of continuity.
There is nothing wrong with that. The Yankees were one of the best teams in the league last year. Going back and especially the same squad should put them in a position to be really good again. It’s also possible that they could be a little better. They’ll get Cole back at some point, which should give them a boost, and they’ll get a full season from Schlittler, who just made his debut last July. If Weathers can stay healthy, he’s another potential bonus. If any glaring deficiencies show up in the next few months, the Yanks could address those in due course, but for now the roster is more of a fix than a overhaul.
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Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
