It’s hard to grade the New York Yankees‘ offseason with so little movement, but the organization did bring back some key people and opened up opportunities for promising players. Meanwhile, they added another toolsy player, outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez, via waivers from the Colorado Rockies. Let’s dive into Wednesday’s news!
Grading the Yankees’ calculated ‘run it back’ offseason strategy so far
The Yankees’ quiet 2026 offseason looks dull on the surface, but the front office believes continuity is the real upgrade. Rather than chasing splashy additions, Brian Cashman is betting that a full season of players acquired or partially integrated last year will reshape the roster.
Jose Caballero headlines that group after flashing impact speed and on-base skills in a short stint, giving the Yankees a disruptive element they’ve lacked. Amed Rosario’s return quietly stabilizes the lineup against left-handed pitching, while Jake Bird represents another pitch-lab project the organization thinks it can unlock with time.
Beyond the deadline holdovers, the Yankees’ confidence also stems from what stayed intact. Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham keep the outfield defense elite and the power steady, while rookie Cam Schlittler’s emergence gives the rotation a potential frontline arm without spending a dollar. The risks are obvious—particularly the pitching depth—but the Yankees believe their “new” roster is already in-house, just finally getting a full season together.
Yankees claim outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez off waivers from Rockies
The Yankees’ waiver claim of Yanquiel Fernández continues a curious trend of mining talent from Colorado’s system. Fernández brings loud tools—elite bat speed, raw power, and a strong arm—but very little polish. His Triple-A numbers look shiny until context strips them down, and his brief major league sample exposed serious swing-and-miss issues that limit his immediate viability.
New York is treating Fernández as a classic low-risk depth play, not a solution. With the outfield already crowded, he’s more likely bound for Scranton than the Bronx, where the organization will attempt to curb his chase rate and translate exit velocity into usable production. The Rockies moved on quickly, but the Yankees are once again betting that their development infrastructure can squeeze value out of raw athleticism others gave up on.
Yankees’ Jasson Dominguez is hanging on to the roster by a thread
Jasson Domínguez enters 2026 in a radically different place than his once-mythic status suggested. Defensive metrics paint him as a liability in Yankee Stadium’s expansive outfield, and offensively he profiles more like a platoon bat than a future star. With Aaron Judge, Grisham and Bellinger entrenched, Domínguez is now fighting Spencer Jones for relevance rather than penciled into the lineup.
Jones’ elite defense and speed fit the stadium and roster far better, making Domínguez increasingly redundant. As his playing time shrinks, so does his trade value, prompting a growing belief that the Yankees should act now while his prospect shine still carries weight. The idea isn’t that Domínguez can’t be good—it’s that the Yankees may no longer be the right place for him to become that player.
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