NEW YORK -- A month has passed since the Yankees’ season ended with Trent Grisham swinging through a third strike in Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Rays, leaving their most dangerous available hitter on deck. Ben Rice was preparing for an at-bat that would never come.
It has also been two weeks and two days since managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner pointed to the offense as the main culprit for his club’s early exit.
“This has been twice now where the offense just hasn’t lived up to their end of the bargain and gotten the deal done,” Steinbrenner said, referring also to the Yankees’ 2025 playoff exit. “The offense was a big disappointment for me. It has to be better.”
Steinbrenner added that he "can’t say anything bad about the pitching staff.” As such, their winter priorities figure to revolve around improving a lineup that tied for ninth in the Majors with 739 runs scored while ranking 11th with a .720 OPS -- numbers skewed because they never seemed quite the same after Aaron Judge landed on the injured list with a right rib fracture in late May.
The Bombers still showcased plenty of slug, belting 223 homers, which was second only to the Astros’ 226. Rice hit 41 homers in a breakout performance, but he was the only Yankee to reach 20; the last Yankees team to only have a 20-homer hitter in a full season was their underwhelming 2013 club.
So where can the Yankees find more offense? Here are some good places to start:
Third base
Perhaps the most intriguing possibility on the market is Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, Nippon Professional Baseball’s reigning MVP and a Triple Crown winner this past season with the Hanshin Tigers. The 27-year-old hit .306 with 39 homers and 106 RBIs, showcasing big lefty power that is expected to translate to the Majors.
Cashman has said it’s been “too many years” since the Yankees made a splash in the Japanese market. They recently hired former Cubs Pacific Rim operations manager Nao Masamoto to bolster their scouting presence after coming up short several times in recent years (Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tatsuya Imai, for example).
Ryan McMahon has one year remaining at $16 million, but that shouldn’t keep them from making a competitive effort for Sato. McMahon batted .213 with 11 homers this past season and has largely struggled since being acquired from the Rockies ahead of the 2025 Deadline.
Catcher
Despite a baserunning blunder in the ALDS, Austin Wells was one of the more productive Yankees in the playoffs (5-for-15, two doubles, four RBIs). That was small consolation after a frustrating season in which he dealt with cervical headaches and batted .186 with 14 homers and 32 RBIs, though he earned strong reviews for handling the pitching staff.
The Yankees sought a right-handed-hitting catcher at the Trade Deadline, expressing interest in the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers and Reds’ Tyler Stephenson before standing pat, leaning on Ali Sanchez as Wells’ backup. Look for them to seek a new platoon partner, preferably a righty bat.
Jeffers and Stephenson are now both free agents, though Jeffers received a qualifying offer from Minnesota.
One in-house alternative to consider is Rice. He’s a left-handed hitter and did not catch in a game all season -- after starting 26 games behind the plate in 2025 -- with manager Aaron Boone explaining they believed it affected him physically during Spring Training. Given their roster construction, the Yankees would benefit from keeping Rice’s catching in play.
Second base
Jazz Chisholm, Jr. did not receive a qualifying offer, and it seems likely he will wear a different uniform next season after batting .231 with 19 homers, 55 RBIs and a career-high 41 stolen bases – well shy of the 50/50 projections he set for himself in Spring Training.
The Yankees must decide how strongly to weigh the improvements they saw from Anthony Volpe in September, which seemed convincing enough that Volpe started twice at second base over Chisholm in the playoffs. José Caballero is capable as well, but the Yanks like him more in a 10th man, super-sub role.
Boone said they are at least considering having Luis Garcia, Jr. work out at second, though Garcia posted -17 DRS there with the Nationals in 2025. Free agent choices include Luis Arraez and Brandon Lowe, while the Yanks have previously been linked to the Marlins’ Xavier Edwards.
Outfield
Cody Bellinger is a Gold Glover in left field and Judge is set to return in right, though the Yankees would be wise to reduce Judge’s defensive innings if it keeps his bat in the lineup more consistently. Rookie Spencer Jones could get a real opportunity in center field, with Grisham not expected to return.
Scouts believe Jones has legit 30-homer potential, if the Yankees can stomach the swing-and-miss. Jones posted -4 DRS in center field, though his speed and athleticism suggest there is upside in all parts of his game -- much like the Yankees are betting on with George Lombard Jr. at shortstop.
Alternatively, the Yankees could shift Bellinger to center field, or weigh a trade for a strong defender like the Nationals’ Jacob Young. Jasson Domínguez seems to be on the outside looking in, unable to secure consistent playing time. “The Martian” may be a prime change-of-scenery candidate.
Designated hitter
Cashman said the DH spot is “up for grabs,” coming off a season in which Rice took most of the reps there, especially after Garcia was acquired.
As previously mentioned, Judge should see increased time as a DH after being limited to 66 games, while Giancarlo Stanton remains under contract for another year and is expected to come into camp looking to prove his health.
Though Paul Goldschmidt said he hopes to continue playing in 2027, don’t look for the Yankees to add another DH -- they’ve got plenty of puzzle pieces there already for Boone and his coaches to fit together.
Coaching staff
Steinbrenner said he “is going to look at all the coaching,” which suggests that changes will at least be considered. Boone spoke highly of hitting coach James Rowson after the season, saying, “I’ve been really impressed with the culture he’s created, year in and year out.”
Rowson is indeed popular with the players, but the lineup struggled to maintain momentum after Judge’s injury, and -- as Steinbrenner noted -- there was too much regression throughout the lineup. The Yankees have yet to say if Rowson or his assistants, Casey Dykes and Jake Hirst, will return in 2027.