According to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, the New York Yankees had a Cody Bellinger pivot plan that involved Luis Robert Jr. There were serious talks between the Bombers and the White Sox about the athletic center fielder before before the Mets acquired him. In other news, Amed Rosario could be used as an option to play first base against lefties in addition to working from other positions around the diamond.
The Yankees wanted Luis Robert Jr. as their Cody Bellinger pivot
The Yankees’ pursuit of right-handed offense nearly took an unexpected turn before Bellinger returned to the Bronx. According to Sherman, New York had serious internal discussions about pivoting to Robert in talks with the White Sox, a possibility that vanished when Robert was suddenly traded to the Mets. While it’s unclear how close the Yankees truly were—or whether leverage and bluffing played a role—the reporting suggests Brian Cashman had a real contingency plan in place if Bellinger slipped away.
Robert’s appeal was obvious. When healthy, he offers impact right-handed power, especially against left-handed pitching, and the Yankees could have deployed him either in center field or a corner spot. How large his role might have been remains a mystery, but his skill set would have given the Yankees flexibility with their outfield alignment, including how aggressively they wanted to manage Jasson Domínguez’s playing time.
Even after landing Bellinger, the Yankees’ broader goal hasn’t changed. They are still hunting for a right-handed bat, preferably in the outfield, with names like Austin Slater and Randal Grichuk atop their wish list. If those options don’t materialize, first basemen such as Paul Goldschmidt or Ty France remain on the radar. Notably absent from their search is a right-handed catcher, which may hint at how the front office views the current market.
The Yankees have an interesting plan at first base involving Amed Rosario
What once felt like an inevitable Goldschmidt reunion now looks far less certain. Instead of paying a premium for a veteran platoon bat, the Yankees are experimenting with a cheaper, more flexible solution: Amed Rosario at first base. Per Sherman, Rosario will receive legitimate reps at the position this spring, a move that could quietly close the door on Goldschmidt if it succeeds.
Offensively, Rosario already checks several boxes the Yankees care about. In limited time last season, he provided solid production, paired with elite contact skills and respectable power. He doesn’t offer Goldschmidt’s star-level ceiling, but his ability to put the ball in play, limit strikeouts, and punish mistakes against lefties gives the Yankees a similar functional outcome at a fraction of the cost.
The gamble, of course, is defense. Rosario has never played first base professionally, but his athleticism and infield background give the Yankees confidence the transition is manageable. If he proves even passable around the bag, Aaron Boone gains roster flexibility without committing a spot or dollars to a one-dimensional specialist. And if it fails, Goldschmidt remains an easy fallback. For now, the Yankees are betting on the athlete.
How the Yankees can finish their offseason strong with 2 moves
Despite months of perceived inactivity, the Yankees enter the season with a franchise-record payroll—and a roster that still feels unfinished. Much of their spending went toward familiar faces rather than sweeping upgrades, leaving the front office focused on smaller, targeted moves to raise the team’s floor. The belief isn’t that a blockbuster is coming, but that a few smart additions could significantly balance the roster.
One area of opportunity is the bench. Adding a right-handed bat—Goldschmidt again being the cleanest fit—would dramatically strengthen the Yankees against left-handed pitching and deepen a position-player group that already looks sturdier than in recent seasons. In that scenario, the bench becomes a real weapon rather than a necessity, pushing players like Oswaldo Cabrera into far less demanding roles.
The bullpen is the other obvious pressure point. With the Cardinals leaning deeper into a rebuild, left-handed reliever JoJo Romero stands out as a realistic, low-cost trade target. His ability to induce ground balls and limit hard contact could stabilize the middle-to-late innings without mortgaging the future. Combined with existing high-end arms, this type of move wouldn’t make headlines—but it could quietly turn uncertainty into reliability.
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