The New York Yankees are running back a striking majority of their 2025 roster.
Marginal moves like the retaining of Paul Blackburn and Amed Rosario, or the acquisition of Ryan Weathers, finally made way to their biggest move of the winter — bringing back Cody Bellinger on a five-year, $162.5 million deal.
There is little to suggest that it is good enough to bring the Yankees to another level after they were outclassed by the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. But Cashman seems content to try to sell the concept that things will be different in 2026.
“It’s not the same roster,” Cashman said (h/t MLB.com). “I disagree [that] it’s the same team running it back… Not afraid to run with the quality and talented roster of players that we do have. I think we’ve been consistent with that throughout the entire winter.
“I’ve been openly willing to challenge anybody that [says] we don’t have a championship-caliber roster and team.”
If the last two seasons suggested anything, it is that the Yankees do not, in fact, have a championship-caliber roster. One year before Toronto crashed them out of the ALDS in four games, they were no match for the Los Angeles Dodgers over five games in the World Series.
Cashman’s club benefits from inhabiting an extremely winnable American League, which finally began reloading last season. The results spoke for themselves. The Yankees’ lineup was not deep enough behind Aaron Judge and Bellinger, and that lineup will be just about identical in 2026.
Ace Gerrit Cole’s absence due to Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil’s issues stretched a strong rotation thin, and it simply did not have enough juice to win a five-game postseason series.
Cole is not due back until late May or early June of this season. Carlos Rodon, coming off a career year, is slated to miss the first month. When both are healthy, the Yankees should have one of the best rotations in baseball alongside Max Fried and the burgeoning Cam Schlittler.
Is that enough to get out of the American League East and presumably challenge the potential dynasty-in-the-making that is the Dodgers in the Fall Classic?
This is a significant gamble for Cashman. He has been at the helm for nearly three decades, and his World Series drought is entering its 17th season.
