The New York Yankees are going to have a pretty familiar feel in the 2026 season, with this winter’s biggest move the re-signing of Cody Bellinger.
That has left some fans with the feeling that the organization is simply running it back, though general manager Brian Cashman pushed back against that narrative, suggesting the team is built to win a championship:
Alongside re-signing Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million deal, the Yankees also retained Trent Grisham on his $22 million qualifying offer, traded for starter Ryan Weathers and retained Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, Paul Blackburn and Amed Rosario, among other moves. They also lost relievers Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.
The Yankees will be dealing with injuries to starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt to start the season, with all due for a stint on the injured list at the beginning of the 2026 campaign, another reason that fans are perhaps antsy after the team’s winter.
The Yankees did finish 94-68 last season, reaching the playoffs for the eighth time in the past nine seasons. For the 16th straight year, however, they didn’t win a title.
And while the Yankees didn’t make any major new additions, the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers signed slugger Kyle Tucker and closer Edwin DÃaz. There was a time when the Yankees were the sport’s biggest spenders, but the Dodgers have supplanted them in that regard.
It’s a new reality for the Bronx Bombers. And it probably doesn’t help that the New York Mets had a splashy offseason, or that the Yankees have a real uphill climb to win the loaded AL East.
But Cashman, at least, still believes the Yankees are built to compete for titles.