The New York Yankees have the potential to boast one of the league’s top offenses once again, but revamping and reinforcing their pitching staff is a must. They should also do something about the shortstop position before it’s too late. Let’s dive into those topics and more!
Why the Yankees should be focused on pitching this offseason
The Yankees enter the offseason with a familiar contradiction: an elite offense paired with a pitching staff that looks increasingly fragile. While the bats project among the best in baseball — leading the league in projected Batting WAR and boasting a 110 wRC+ outlook — the pitching side doesn’t inspire the same confidence.
Underlying metrics from last season suggest the rotation’s strong ERA masked a middle-of-the-pack group that struggled to miss bats, and postseason results only reinforced that concern.
That’s why adding high-end pitching has become a necessity rather than a luxury. The Yankees are expected to push hard for Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai, whose arrival could stabilize the rotation and clear the path for bullpen upgrades. Trade targets like Trevor Megill or even a lower-cost lefty such as Gregory Soto would add swing-and-miss power, giving New York a chance to build a top-tier bullpen without blowing up the payroll.
Meanwhile, the contrast between the organization’s hitting and pitching development has become impossible to ignore. James Rowson’s offense continues to thrive both in-season and in October, while the pitching staff has declined in velocity, strikeouts, and overall impact. The numbers point to a clear conclusion: the offense is carrying its weight, and the pitching isn’t. If the Yankees want to avoid another postseason disappointment, this is the winter to fix it.
Yankees shortstop plan for 2026 is a recipe for disaster
The Yankees are staring down a major shortstop problem, and for the first time in years, there’s no disguising it. Anthony Volpe’s uneven track record — three straight seasons of below-average offense and a defensive collapse tied to a torn labrum — leaves the team without a reliable starter at a cornerstone position. Even once he returns from surgery, expecting an offensive breakout feels more like wishful thinking than a plan.
In the meantime, the Yankees are preparing to patch together the position with internal options that don’t move the needle. Jose Caballero, despite his late-season spark in the Bronx, profiles as a below-average hitter closer to his Tampa Bay production than the hot streak he flashed after the trade. Oswaldo Cabrera offers versatility but hasn’t shown signs of becoming more than a stopgap. At best, the Yankees are looking at an average platoon — hardly ideal for a team desperate to cut down on strikeouts and lengthen the lineup.
Their long-term hope rests with George Lombard Jr., whose defensive chops already scream future Gold Glover. But he’s not expected until 2027, leaving New York stuck in a holding pattern of their own making. Until the front office gets aggressive, the shortstop position remains a glaring weak spot on a roster built to win now.
‘Blasphemous’: Evaluating the Yankees’ latest Jazz Chisholm trade ideas
Rumblings that the Yankees might consider trading Jazz Chisholm Jr. have sparked outrage for good reason: moving a 30-homer, 30-steal star at the peak of his value would create a hole that the roster simply can’t absorb. Chisholm just posted a 126 wRC+ and thrived in Yankee Stadium, leveraging his elite barrel rate and left-handed power to become one of the team’s most productive hitters. For a club searching for athleticism and energy, subtracting him makes no baseball sense.
Trading him to chase outfield help — even with Cody Bellinger as the preferred target — would only create new problems. Unless the Yankees were acquiring a high-end infielder like Brendan Donovan, they would be weakening a clear area of strength. Chisholm’s flaws, from strikeouts to streakiness, don’t outweigh the impact he brings as a dynamic, disruptive presence the lineup has been missing for years.
The real dilemma is contractual. With one year left before free agency, the Yankees must decide whether Chisholm is a long-term piece worth extending or a rental they’re unwilling to pay. That silence from the front office speaks loudly. But dealing him now would effectively punt on infield stability for 2026 — a gamble that clashes with their win-now timeline. If the Yankees are serious about contending, the solution is simple: keep the spark and fix the actual weaknesses.
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