WEAVER TO THE METS & THE YANKEES STILL HAVEN'T MAKE A SIGNIFCANT MOVE

If this is what urgency looks like in the Bronx, someone needs to check the pulse.

The Yankees have officially sleepwalked into MLB free agency, and the early returns are… Amed Rosario and Ryan Yarbrough. That’s it. Two names that scream “placeholder,” not “contender.”  Meanwhile, the rest of the league is out here shopping like it’s Black Friday, and the Yankees are squinting at the clearance rack like they forgot their wallet.

At some point, we have to say the quiet part out loud: the Yankees do not appear to care about being competitive or even good in 2026.

And yes, before anyone reaches for the PR talking points, this is the same organization whose owner, Hal Steinbrenner, once suggested the Yankees are not a profitable franchise—which we all know is fucking bullshit. This is the New York Yankees, not a roadside lemonade stand. They print money in their sleep. Claiming poverty while fielding a half-asleep roster is insulting, not convincing.

The bullpen situation is a perfect snapshot of the rot. The Yankees desperately need relief pitching, yet somehow managed to sit on their hands while most of the high-end bullpen arms flew off the board. Even worse, several of those signings happened right in the AL East. Translation: the Yankees aren’t just standing still—they’re actively falling behind.

And if you want to see what a serious franchise looks like, glance north. The Blue Jays get it. They’re bringing in top-tier talent, players ready to win now. They look hungry. They look aggressive. Right now, they look like the new kings of the AL East, while the Yankees look like a brand living off past glory.

Then there’s the Luke Weaver situation, which somehow manages to be both baffling and infuriating.

According to Joel Sherman, “The Yankees were not part of the bidding to try to retain Weaver.” Not “they got outbid.” Not “they made an offer but fell short.” No—they didn’t even show up.

This is insanity.

Weaver was a legitimate bullpen weapon for the Yankees in 2025. Even if he wasn’t at the top of their wish list, you don’t just ignore a quality arm who already proved he could handle New York. Not even entertaining a conversation—especially when the contract was two years, $22 million—is organizational malpractice.

And now? Weaver heads across town to the Mets, where he’ll pitch alongside former Yankees Clay Holmes and Devin Williams. That alone should be humiliating.

But here’s the real question: it’s not “Why did Weaver go to the Mets?” It’s why the fuck didn’t the Yankees even try?

The Yankees are the ones who created the Weaver mess in the first place. He was a top closer down the stretch two years ago, and then Brian Cashman brought in Williams and detonated the bullpen hierarchy. Roles vanished. Confidence evaporated. Nobody knew where they stood—Weaver included, Williams included, everyone included. It was the dumbest bullpen decision Cashman made in 2025, and that’s saying something.

And now the follow-up act is even worse: they let Weaver walk without a phone call, without a pitch, without a pulse.

So, what’s the plan?

Nothing.

No replacement. No backup move. No urgency. Just another useful arm drifting away while the Yankees act completely fine with it. That tells you everything you need to know. This wasn’t a tough decision—they were comfortable letting him go.

This is why Yankees fans are furious. This is why the organization feels hollow. The Yankees don’t look competitive. They don’t look gritty. They don’t even look like they want to win anymore.

It’s not just disturbing—it’s embarrassing.

MAYBE CASHMAN SHOULD HAVE SIGNED SEAGER FOUR YEARS AGO

Always dragging his feet.

The sudden offseason “buzz” about Corey Seager possibly landing in the Bronx this winter would be funny if it weren’t so painfully on brand. Because here’s the part everyone conveniently forgets: the Yankees had a clean, wide-open runway to get Seager four years ago. No smoke. No mirrors. No trade gymnastics. Just money, intent, and a front office willing to act. Instead, Brian Cashman did what Brian Cashman always does — absolutely nothing.

That inaction handed us Anthony Volpe as the long-term answer at shortstop, a decision that has aged like unrefrigerated milk. In fact, it now belongs in the Yankees Hall of Infamy right next to trading Jay Buhner for spare parts. Different era, same regret, same front office DNA. Stupid.

Now we’re supposed to believe the Yankees are calling the Rangers to see if Corey Seager might be available? Calling. Not acquiring. Not prying loose. Calling. Is Cashman dumb? Because those appear to be the two remaining options. This is what desperation looks like when it’s four years late and wearing a suit.

Sure, an upgrade over Volpe in 2026 would be a lovely gift. A miracle, even. But Seager isn’t that gift. He’s a locked door the Yankees don’t have the keys to — and never bothered to copy when the locksmith was standing right in front of them.

Yanks Go Yard summed it up perfectly, noting:

“Even if Brian Cashman and Co. were going all-in on Seager right now, it sounds like the Yankees would be running into a rock-solid barrier in the form of Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young. ‘We are not shopping Corey Seager, I want to make that very clear,’ Young said.”

Alrighty then. Message received. Translation: You had your chance. You blew it. Stop calling.

So let’s recap what we know. The Rangers aren’t moving Seager. Cashman is suddenly desperate to upgrade shortstop. He should have signed Seager four years ago. And the Yankees continue to operate with the least aggressive front office imaginable in a sport where aggression is mandatory if you want to win. They never jump when elite players are available — only after those players turn into franchise cornerstones somewhere else. Then comes the regret tour.

But hey, don’t panic — we got Miguel Palma, right?

Here’s the one sliver of actual good news, though, if you’re counting down the days until the Volpe era mercifully ends. According to Randy Miller of NJ.com:

“(Volpe) may only have one more season to keep his job long-term because George Lombard Jr., the organization’s No. 1 prospect, is a shortstop who figures to reach Triple-A at some point next season after playing for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset in 2025.”

Thank God. Because let’s stop pretending this season was about a sore shoulder. I don’t buy that for a second. What we saw was the collapse of hype meeting reality. Volpe wasn’t injured in my opinion — he was exposed. And now the Yankees are doing what they always do after a catastrophic decision: rewriting the narrative to avoid admitting they screwed it up.

Brian Cashman isn’t unlucky. He’s stale. He’s complacent. And in a league where the Yankees need to be ruthless, fearless, and aggressive to matter again, he’s still operating like it’s 2009 and patience is a strategy. It isn’t. It’s just another excuse — four years too late.

TRADE JAZZ, VOLPE TO SECOND & GO GET BO!

 I know exactly what I’d do.

Yes, it would be messy—because the Yankees and Aaron Boone are physically incapable of letting go of their prized possession, Anthony Volpe. But in the spirit of compromise, and fully acknowledging that José Caballero would be holding the fort until Volpe returns from surgery and eventually remembers how to play the infield, let me float an idea that sounds insane… yet somehow still protects Boone’s emotional attachment to Volpe.

And yes—it starts with moving Jazz Chisholm.

Brian Cashman recently said the Yankees are “open-minded” when it comes to trading Jazz in order to improve the pitching staff. Open-minded. That’s Cashman-speak for “we’re thinking about it, but only if it doesn’t make us uncomfortable.”

Cashman went on to praise Jazz as part of the solution: athletic, above average, an All-Star second baseman, great defender, power, speed, steals bags, all that good stuff. And you know what? He’s right. Jazz has been a good get.

But here’s where I differ: if you can flip Jazz to land a legitimate starting pitcher, you do it. Period. The Yankees desperately need rotation help, and this roster doesn’t move forward unless someone with real value is sacrificed.

Now, before everyone hyperventilates—yes, that leaves a hole at second base. And that’s where our favorite untouchable comes in.

Anthony Volpe to second base. Relax. Breathe. Boone can still tuck him in at night. I don't want this, but I'm trying to keep Boone happy. He still gets to keep his boy toy.

Look, Volpe isn’t a shortstop. We’ve seen enough. He struggles with the throws, the reads, the footwork, and the moment. Second base simplifies the job. Shorter throws, less pressure, fewer chances to remind us why this experiment keeps failing. Frankly, he probably throws better from second than he does from short.

And the bonus? The Yankees still get to market him. The commercials live on. The branding machine keeps humming. I’m compromising here. Truly. But that still leaves the biggest issue: who the hell plays shortstop?

If the Yankees are serious—actually serious—this is where you go big. You don’t plug the hole with duct tape and hope for the best. You land a real shortstop. A tough one. A proven one.

You get Bo Bichette.

Bo Bichette would be a massive offensive upgrade for this lineup. He’s elite at putting the bat on the ball—something the Yankees treat like a forbidden art form. A career .294 hitter who hit .311 in 2025, led the league in hits twice, and lives on base. He’s the exact opposite of the Yankees’ feast-or-famine philosophy.

Put him next to Aaron Judge and suddenly pitchers can’t just nibble and pray. Bichette balances the lineup, grinds at-bats, and brings an edge this team sorely lacks.

And Volpe? Bat him ninth. Let him be the ceremonial leadoff hitter for the second inning. He can still be the face of Charles Tyrwhitt, still hit .214, and still exist—just no longer in the way of the Yankees trying to win baseball games.

And if Volpe stinks it up at second base? Congratulations—we already have José Caballero, a legitimate utility weapon, ready to step in and actually do useful things.

Will the Yankees ever do this? Of course not. It requires creativity, courage, and a willingness to upset the comfort level of the front office. Three things this organization avoids like the plague.

But should they do it? Absolutely.

Because right now, this offseason has been pathetic. There’s no momentum. No imagination. No sense that the Yankees are a forward-thinking, ruthless, championship-driven franchise.

Moves like this create excitement. They signal intent. They tell fans you’re done spinning your wheels.

Will it happen? No. The Yankees don’t have the stomach for it. But they should. And maybe—just maybe—if enough people start saying it out loud, someone with a spine will eventually listen.

Let’s see what happens.

GREAT LEFTY OPTION OUT THERE FOR THE YANKEES PEN!

If the Yankees are serious about pretending 2026 won’t be another season of crossed fingers and press-conference spin, then here’s a wild concept: they might want an actual left-handed reliever in the bullpen. A real one. Not a “we like his underlying metrics” guy. Not a “he can give us multiple innings if the vibes are right” experiment. An actual late-inning, get-lefties-out, make-your-life-miserable southpaw.

Because right now? That cupboard is bare.

Mark Leiter Jr. is gone. Luke Weaver is a free agent. Ryan Yarbrough—bless him—is more of a bulk-innings safety net than a guy you trust when the season is on the line. And Tim Hill and Jayvien Sandridge? That’s not a playoff plan. That’s filler. That’s what you talk yourself into when you’ve done absolutely nothing meaningful to improve a roster and need to convince fans that standing still is actually “being patient.”

Which brings us to a name that’s floating around and, shockingly, makes actual sense: JoJo Romero.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals’ left-hander is drawing interest, and yes—this is the rare rumor that doesn’t immediately make you roll your eyes. Romero checks boxes the Yankees desperately need checked. He’s not theoretical. He’s not a reclamation project. He’s a proven reliever with a nasty slider, a heavy sinker, real command, and an annoying habit of producing ground balls instead of heart attacks.

In 2025, Romero was legitimately good—2.07 ERA, 8 saves, and consistent late-inning effectiveness before some injury concerns popped up toward the end of the year. That’s not perfect, but it’s a lot closer to “reliable bullpen piece” than whatever Cashman has been trying to pass off lately.

Financially? Also reasonable. Romero is projected to make around $4.4 million in his final year of arbitration. That’s not a budget-buster. That’s not some luxury-tax nightmare. That’s the cost of doing business if you actually care about winning baseball games. And with St. Louis widely expected to hit the reset button and reshuffle their roster, there’s very little reason for them to cling to a reliever who isn’t part of their next competitive window.

Meanwhile, back in the Bronx, Brian Cashman has done precisely nothing significant to make the 2026 Yankees better. No bold moves. No statement additions. Just the same old waiting, posturing, and hoping fans confuse inactivity with intelligence. The bullpen, once a strength, is now riddled with question marks—and somehow the front office seems comfortable with that.

Adding Romero wouldn’t fix everything. Let’s not pretend one lefty reliever suddenly turns this team into a juggernaut. But it would be a smart, logical move that addresses a very real problem with an actual solution. Which, of course, is why it feels slightly dangerous to get your hopes up.

Still, if Cashman manages to pull this off, it would finally look like the Yankees are trying to improve the roster instead of just explaining why they didn’t.

Low bar? Absolutely. But at this point, we’re just asking for competence. The Yankees front office sucks!

Stay tuned.

WOAH! THERE'S A MICHAEL KING BIDDING WAR HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

It's almost Christmas and one team is about to get an early present. Michael King is ready to return to the AL East, now we just wait and see who he pitches for.

According to SI.com HERE, the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and the Yankees are all finalists in the Michael King sweepstakes. I really don't know how I feel about the idea of King coming back. I guess I am indifferent compared to Casey who wrote I REALLY HOPE A MICHAEL KING REUNION IS NOT IN THE CARDS. I have nothing against King, I guess I just am not itching for a reunion. I am looking for new shiny options.

On the other hand though....the Yankees NEED options. Both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are going to miss time at the beginning of the season and let's face it you can never have enough pitching. This is true for ANY team but especially the Yankees who seem to have the most untimely injuries partnered with a very ineffective training and medical staff that exasperate everything.

King is very familiar with the Yankees so there's one plus to consider in all of this. We know some guys just can't handle the bright lights and expectations here and that is not a concern here. Also, it would take some of the pressure off Luis Gil and Cam Schlittler who could slide down in the rotation. It would also allow the Yankees to use Will Warren in more of a swingman role. There's some strategy here that could work.

As far as our other AL East rivals, this could get interesting. The Orioles are on a quest to find strong pitching after upgrading its offense with the Pete Alonso signing. King would instantly be the strongest arm in their rotation and would make the Orioles a stronger team in 2026 then they were this season. Boston on the other hand is a bit of a head scratcher. Right now, their rotation is full especially after adding Sonny Gray.

If the Red Sox do sign King, it could be part of a strategy used to then trade some of their up and coming arms for an impact bat similar to what the Orioles just did. Adding the impact bat also makes the Red Sox a stronger team which could make the battle for the AL East that much tougher. Last year it was a race between the Blue Jays and us but now this could become even more difficult on the Yankees. 

So now we wait and see what happens. Does King reunite with the Yankees or do the Red Sox have a shot at snagging the guy that grew up in Rhode Island and went to Boston college? It's not something I was interested in. Now that I see how it can change the landscape in the AL East....I'm paying attention.

Do you want King back? Comment and tell us what's on your mind.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

CASHMAN ALREADY USING THE PHRASING "IT'S BEEN TOUGH" THIS OFFSEASON

The New York Yankees, a franchise that once defined toughness, accountability, and championship DNA, are now apparently trying to sell us on the idea that Austin Wells is a real catcher. Not a placeholder. Not a stopgap. A solution. And that alone tells you how far off the rails this organization has gone.

Let’s be clear: Austin Wells is not gritty. He is not intimidating. He is not Thurman Munson. He is not Jorge Posada. Hell, he’s not even a poor man’s version of either. Munson looked like he’d fight you in the parking lot after the game. Posada looked like he’d block the plate with his face if it meant winning in October. Wells looks like he was focus-grouped by the marketing department to sell jerseys and smile for camera day.

And that’s the problem.

Brian Cashman and his army of spreadsheet worshippers keep confusing presentable with competitive. They think clean uniforms, good vibes, and “strong makeup” are substitutes for edge, urgency, and a pulse. They are not. They never have been. And they never will be.

Yet here we are, once again, watching the Yankees admit they “need depth” at catcher while doing absolutely nothing that resembles ambition.

Yes, Wells is penciled in as the starter. That alone should set off alarms. The Yankees could look for a tandem partner. They could look for someone to push him. They could look for an actual upgrade. Instead, they did what Cashman always does when faced with a real roster problem: ducked it.

Enter Miguel Palma.

Palma was signed to a minor-league deal with a spring training invite, which is Yankee-speak for “please don’t expect anything.” He’s described as “well-liked” with “good makeup,” which at this point might as well be printed directly on the back of Cashman’s business card. He’s 5-foot-9, bounced around the Astros’ system last year, and—shockingly—will start out in the minors.

Because of course he will.

This is the same tired song. Another depth piece. Another lottery ticket. Another guy whose main contribution will be organizational filler while the major-league roster remains incomplete and uninspiring.

And Cashman’s excuse? You already know it. The market is thin.

It’s always thin, Brian.

Every offseason starts with bravado: We’re going to get what we need. Then reality hits, and suddenly it’s hard, complicated, challenging. Translation: the Yankees don’t want to pay the price—financially or prospect-wise—to actually improve.

Cashman even gave us his annual word-salad masterpiece, the kind that manages to say absolutely nothing while sounding like it should mean something:

“We’re just staying engaged, trying to match up with some things. But it’s been tough so far. Don’t like the asks coming our way, and I guess the opposing teams don’t like what I’m trying to pull from them.”

That’s it. That’s the plan.

Other teams ask for real value. Cashman tries to pull a fast one. Talks stall. Nothing happens. Rinse. Repeat. Yankee fans are supposed to applaud the effort while the roster holes remain wide open.

Meanwhile, the organization wants us to believe Austin Wells is the guy. That this soft-edged, analytics-approved, aesthetically pleasing catcher represents the future of a franchise built on nastiness and winning.

Sorry. Not buying it.

Championship teams are built on mentality, not marketing. They’re built on players who don’t blink in October, not players who look good in a brochure. Until the Yankees remember that—and until Brian Cashman is no longer in charge of redefining “good enough”—this franchise will continue spinning its wheels.

Same excuses. Same half-measures. Same doomed results.

And yes, let’s just say it plainly: Austin Wells isn’t the answer. He’s part of the problem.

YANKS SIGN A PITCHER. BUT WHERE'S THE BIG FISH, CASHMAN?

Jon Heyman reports the Yankees signed Drake Fellows to a minor-league deal. And sure, on paper, it comes with all the usual buzzwords we’re supposed to clap for: “pen candidate,” “big strikeout rate,” “nasty slider.” Sprinkle in a strong comeback story — Fellows beat non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is genuinely admirable — and suddenly the front office expects a standing ovation.

Let me be clear: Drake Fellows is not the problem. His story is legit. Former Vanderbilt star. College World Series champ. Reached Triple-A with Pittsburgh. Projectable frame. Slider that misses bats. In 2025, he threw 112.1 innings with a 4.41 ERA and 94 strikeouts. That’s fine. That’s… fine.

But this is the Yankees now. Fine.

This is what “improving the roster” apparently looks like in Brian Cashman’s universe: minor-league deals, lottery tickets, and guys who might be useful if three things break right and the moon is in retrograde. Meanwhile, every real impact player gets labeled “too expensive,” “too risky,” or “not the right fit” — a phrase that has become front-office code for we’re not actually trying.

And let’s talk about this obsession with stockpiling the farm system. Normally? I’m all for pitching depth. Hoard arms. Collect sliders like Pokémon cards. No issue there. The issue is why the Yankees are doing it. It’s not strategy — it’s insulation. It’s hoarding these minor leaguers because the development system can’t actually finish the job, so they just keep cycling bodies through like spare parts.

They’ve traded away damn near everyone except George Lombard Jr., and now we’re supposed to believe this is the master plan? Develop what, exactly? Another wave of “interesting” arms who peak at Scranton and become trade filler two years from now?

Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner keep saying the Yankees want to “get better.” Okay — how? By signing players who have never been red-hot at any point in their professional careers? By shopping exclusively in the clearance aisle while pretending its savvy roster construction?

The Yankees don’t need more “holes filled.” They need difference-makers. They need top-tier free agents. They need bold trades. They need an actual plan to compete instead of this endless scavenger hunt for value.

And at some point, fans have to ask the uncomfortable question:

Is it even worth it anymore? Is it even worth rooting for this team with just how awful our front office has been?

Because right now, this doesn’t feel like a serious franchise. It feels like an organization treading water, hiding behind spreadsheets and minor-league depth while selling us hope in bulk — cheap, generic, and never quite what was advertised.

That’s not building a winner. That’s just surviving.

THE YANKEES SIGNED ANOTHER GUY YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF

Another offseason, another mystery man pulled straight off Brian Cashman’s clearance rack. This is what passes for “depth” in the Bronx now — squint real hard, cross your fingers, and pray for a lightning-in-a-bottle miracle because spending actual money is apparently frowned upon. The Yankees don’t act like a franchise trying to reclaim its powerhouse status. They act like a company desperately cutting costs while insisting everything is fine. It’s not.

This team is no longer serious, and this offseason has been embarrassing. Full stop.

The latest example? The Yankees have signed Cuban outfielder Ernesto Martínez Jr. to a minor league deal with an invite to big-league spring training. Cue the parade. He’s a former Brewer, spent time bouncing around the minors, and—let’s be honest—was on absolutely nobody’s radar when it comes to transforming the Yankees into a legitimate contender in 2026.

Martínez Jr. topped out at Triple-A Nashville last season before hitting free agency. Yes, he showed some progress in 2024, hitting .284 with 13 homers and 20 stolen bases at Double-A. Good for him. Truly. This isn’t a shot at the player. He’s grinding, and that deserves respect.

But this? This is what the Yankees are selling their fanbase as roster building? Spare parts. Lottery tickets. Hope and vibes. The front office wants applause for dumpster-diving while calling it “staying competitive.” Give me a break. Competitive with who? For what year exactly? 2030?

You don’t rebuild a fallen giant by pretending minor league flyers are bold strategy. You do it by acting like you actually want to win. Right now, the Yankees look less like a championship organization and more like a shell of what they used to be — and fans have every right to be furious about it.

Pathetic.

EVERYONE KNOWS VOLPE IS NOT THE ANSWER AT SHORT

Caballero has confidence. Volpe has confusion. It's pretty simple.

The fact that Anthony Volpe is still being treated like the Yankees’ unquestioned starting shortstop after everything we watched this season is absolutely wild to me. In a rational universe, his job status should’ve been under review the minute the postseason ended. In a just world, it would’ve been outright revoked. And in a serious baseball operation, Brian Cashman would’ve at least gotten a stern talking-to for authorizing one of the most stubborn shortstop commitments in recent memory.

But no. Instead, Cashman does what Cashman does best: doubles down, ducks accountability, and tap-dances through reporter questions like he’s auditioning for So You Think You Can Spin? Asked about the Yankees’ shortstop future now that José Caballero is in the mix, Cashman went full fortune cookie.

You can’t predict journeys. You can’t predict impact. You can’t predict… anything, apparently—except that Volpe will keep getting chances no matter what the eye test, stat sheet, or common sense says. Playing time, we’re told, is “earned.” The game “separates the men from the boys.” Very inspirational stuff. Really stirring. Also completely disconnected from reality.

Because anyone with functioning eyeballs can see what’s happening here. José Caballero is simply a better shortstop. Not hypothetically. Not someday. He is.

Caballero brings real athleticism. Legit speed. Smart, aggressive baserunning. A steady glove. Energy. Grit. The kind of player who actually impacts winning even if he’s not launching moonshots into the bleachers. He creates runs. He stabilizes the infield. He pressures defenses. He plays like someone who understands that every pitch matters.

Volpe? Volpe brings frustration.

Poor at-bats. Too many strikeouts. Defensive miscues that pop up at the worst possible times. Mental lapses. Failed bunts. And yes—boos raining down from a fanbase that knows the difference between growing pains and chronic underperformance. Flashes of power don’t cancel out the nightly chaos. They just make it more annoying.

This is the New York Yankees. Not a daycare. Not a long-term science experiment. Not a “let’s see if it finally clicks in Year X” rehab center. If you don’t have it, you don’t get unlimited patience—especially at shortstop, and especially in the Bronx.

And here’s the kicker: Cashman knows all of this. He has to. Yet for some reason—organizational pride, stubbornness, sunk-cost delusion, or maybe he just really likes the kid—Volpe remains penciled in like this debate doesn’t even exist.

The one sliver of good news? Volpe won’t be ready for Opening Day. After shoulder surgery in October to repair a partially torn labrum—an injury that lingered since May—he’s expected to miss the start of the season and won’t be cleared to dive for a while. Late April. Maybe early May.

Which means Caballero gets the stage.

And I’m hoping—praying—that during that window, Caballero shows New York exactly what competent, winning shortstop play looks like. That the position stabilizes. That the infield breathes. That we all collectively realize, “Oh… this is what it’s supposed to look like.”

Will it matter? Probably not. The Yankees have dug their heels in deep on Volpe. Too deep. He was oversold, overhyped, and overprotected. And frankly, he doesn’t have the mental or physical makeup to handle shortstop in the biggest market in baseball.

Maybe he’d thrive somewhere quieter. Somewhere with lower expectations. Miami, maybe. Somewhere the boos don’t echo.

But here? In the Bronx?

This isn’t it.

COULD MACKENZIE GORE BE ON THE RADAR?

 

Could MacKenzie Gore actually be on the Yankees’ radar? Supposedly yes — which is shocking, because the Yankees’ radar usually only detects ex-All-Stars from 2017 and pitchers held together with hope and duct tape.

If you don’t know Gore, you should. The kid’s a legitimately talented left-hander with guts, fire, and an arm that actually misses bats — something the Yankees treat like a luxury item. At the Winter Meetings, ESPN tossed around questions like “Which team is under the most pressure?” Jesse Rogers didn’t hesitate: the Yankees. Why? Because Toronto is out here making moves like they’ve discovered a cheat code. Their top priority now? Japanese star pitcher Tatsuya Imai.

Meanwhile, the Yankees keep saying they’re “in” on Imai, but whenever Cashman says he’s in, it usually means he’ll show up three days late with coupons and a confused look. While the Yankees are busy protecting Anthony Volpe like he’s a national treasure, the Blue Jays are building a legitimate contender. Imai is important now, and why not? They’re going for it. The Yankees are going for… well, vibes.

And suddenly, instead of being all over Imai like they claimed, the Yankees rumors are drifting toward another name — MacKenzie Gore. ESPN’s reporting it. ClutchPoints is reporting it too. Rogers flat-out said Gore is likely to be moved: “Where there is smoke, there is fire… his name came up a lot in Orlando.” Translation: he’s available and he’s good. Of course that sets off Cashman’s bargain alarm.

Rogers even said the Yankees or Orioles make the most sense. Imagine that — the Yankees making sense for a good pitcher who isn’t 38 or recently broken. Refreshing!

Gore’s résumé is actually impressive: debuted with San Diego, earned an All-Star nod in 2025, boasts a lively fastball, growing breaking stuff, and legit strikeout potential. Yes, he still battles his walk rate. Yes, he ended 2025 early with an injury. But the ceiling? High. Very high. “Possible ace” high. Which means the Yankees should absolutely be sprinting after him… and therefore probably won’t.

Why? Because this front office is terrified — terrified of spending real money, terrified of trading real prospects, terrified of doing anything bold enough to actually improve the team. That’s how you end up signing players like Bradley Hanner, who has zero Major League innings but fits perfectly into Cashman’s “We swear this is a sneaky-smart move” discount bin.

It’s ridiculous. It’s predictable. It’s exhausting.

And if the Yankees don’t wake up, the rest of the AL East will keep powering up while the Bronx Bombers keep fiddling with clearance-rack projects and then wondering why October feels so far away.

CASHMAN'S COUPON CLIPPERS

WTF is going on in the Bronx?

The New York Yankees need to get their offseason act together, because right now this front office looks like it’s running a yard sale instead of a franchise worth billions. We’re weeks into the winter and what has Brian Cashman done? Exactly what he always does: rummage through the bargain bin, dust off something nobody else wanted, and parade it around like he just discovered fire.

Translation: “Nope, we’re not spending on stars. Nope, we’re not being bold. But hey, look at this guy we got for the cost of a Staten Island studio apartment!”

And the latest episode of “Cashman’s Coupon Clippers” features… Bradley Hanner. Yep. A righty from Cleveland who hasn’t even sniffed the big leagues yet. The Yankees announced him like he was some secret weapon, when in reality it’s another scratch-off ticket. If he makes the roster, he pockets 800K. If he doesn’t, he’s another Matt Blake science experiment.

Why? Honestly—why? Why why why why why?

We’re told his sweeper is promising and that Matt Blake can unlock his potential. Cute idea. But if Blake is some pitching wizard, maybe he could fix the bullpen we already have instead of Cashman dragging home another fixer-upper from the MLB clearance rack.

Yes, Hanner give “depth,” but here’s the real question: Where’s the sure thing? Where’s the guy you don’t hope succeeds, but know succeeds? Where’s the actual investment?

Oh right—forgot. Hal Steinbrenner is too busy polishing his spreadsheets to care. As long as the luxury tax stays comfy and the profits stay warm, why bother building a championship roster? The man treats the Yankees like a boutique hotel chain, not a baseball powerhouse.

And Cashman? Cheap. Cheap. Cheap. A coupon-hoarding, penny-pinching mastermind who loves nothing more than pretending mediocrity is a strategic masterstroke. The man sees a $2 reliever and thinks he found the Holy Grail.

I’m sorry, but I’m done. Not with the players—never with the players—but with this front office that absolutely, unequivocally DOES NOT KNOW WHAT THE HELL IT’S DOING. Why should fans dump money into tickets, merch, and concessions when the Yankees won’t put real money into the team?

They’ve made rooting for this franchise feel like a chore. Painful. Embarrassing. A test of endurance. Why do you think I never write anymore? It's the same story every day? There's nothing interesting with this team.

I’m not going back to the Stadium until Boone is gone and this front office stops treating the Yankees like a budget cosplay of the Tampa Bay Rays. We’re soft. Softer than pudding. And at this rate, we’re not getting back to being competitive anytime soon.

Hanner’s Triple-A numbers show potential, sure—but potential isn’t the problem. The problem is that the New York freaking Yankees shouldn’t be bargain hunting. They should be setting the standard. Instead? They’re clipping coupons and praying.

They're not a serious franchise.

SCOTT BORAS HAS REACHED A NEW LEVEL OF CRAZY!

Winter would be very tame if there was no super agent Scott Boras. An offseason with no Boras would not be as entertaining but he would annoy less people. Boras is baseball's most powerful agent but he's also really freaking strange.

Boras is many things. He's sought after by many players, especially all of the big names but also hated by many fans. He's a smooth talker that can convince owners to open their wallets and spend the big bucks because they NEED his players. He's the schmoozer and entertainer that has done so well at it that we all have grown to despise him and now he's added one more quality....he's also a bizarro wannabe poet.

In case you missed it, Boras wants us all to know just how many suitors Cody Bellinger has and he did it in poetic fashion, read more HERE. He got cutesy at the Winter Meetings yesterday. Now that the Phillies have locked up Kyle Schwarber, he's doing what Boras does best....trying to drive up Cody's price.
"It's not for me to JUDGE, but great players see RED if they have a big bat YANKED out of their lineup," Boras said. "I haven't MET a team that DODGES a five-tool player. To PHIL the center field need is a GIANT step towards the playoffs. North and South, outfielders that fly with power, they're rare BIRDS. In the offseason, there's a lot of startup to organizations, and for that reason, there's a lot of ANGEL investors that are looking for very versatile outfielders. So other than that, Belli doesn't have much interest."

When I read that, I thought I was back in English Literature class creating sonnets and haiku's or something. That's just weird and on a whole new level of crazy. So going off of Boras' poetry session the Yankees, Mets, Angels, Dodgers, Phillies, Giants, Orioles and Reds are all in on Cody. I don't think the Phillies are as IN on Cody as Boras wants us to believe now that they have a deal with Schwarber. Again, this is what Boras does he drives up the price.

I don't see the Reds here, Cody is going to a big market with bigger money and the Angels are kind of funny too. Bigger market but just not realistic. This could easily come down to the big three once again....the Yankees, Mets and Billion dollar Dodgers. The Mets could be more aggressive now that they have lost out on Edwin Diaz and the Dodgers just have to spend money like they are in Congress.

How much does Cody want to be a Yankee? I guess we will have to wait and see. There's one thing that no other team has....the nostalgia that the Yankees have for the Bellinger family. It's a legacy connection. Like father Clay Bellinger, like son Cody. I know this isn't a guaranteed lock by any means but Cody enjoyed his time here just like his dad. 

This comes down to Hal Steinbrenner. He lost big last winter....does he want that to happen again? That would be a hard pill to swallow. Boras is just being Boras, but trying to make this cute is creepy even for his standards. 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj