Yankees 2026 Offseason Predictions: What additions should the Yankees make
- Matthew Nethercott
- Nov 10, 2025
- 4 min read
The Yankees will be aggressive this offseason, but moves should the Yankees make?
The offseason is in full swing with the GM meetings taking place later this week in Las Vegas. That means teams will begin to put their offseason plans in place and get ready for 2026. As per usual, the Yankees have been and will continue to be linked to every free agent under the sun, but who should they actually go after?
Outfielder
The Yankees need an outfielder this offseason. The problem: the Yankees outfield availability hinges on Trent Grisham. Because the Yankees extended the qualifying offer to Grisham last week, if he picks that $22.05M one year deal, the Yankees are handcuffed. Aaron Judge will be in right, Grisham in center, where he was a negative defender in 2025, and as of now Jasson Dominguez in left.
The Yankees would like to retain Cody Bellinger and are more likely to bring him in than Kyle Tucker or another trade piece.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has been a name to come up in trade rumors in the coming days. As a right-handed outfielder, he would fit the needs of the Yankees lineup perfectly. The platinum glove winner would also add spectacular defense into the outfield, including potentially center field. The Yankees have a good relationship with AJ Preller and the Padres, and a deal could certainly get done. San Diego would like to acquire pitching in return, something the Yankees have to offer, like Will Warren and Luis Gil.
It should be assumed that Cam Schlittler is untouchable in most negotiations.
The Yankees will also look to have one of Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones get everyday starts in 2026. Dominguez has shown more promise than Jones thus far, with higher contact numbers and a much lower strikeout rate. Jones is a lottery ticket, and Dominguez is more of a sure thing.
Jasson Dominguez will also play in the LIDOM Winter League beginning next week, per his instagram story.
Starting Pitching
Pitching wins championships. The Yankees need to do whatever they can do to bring in a middle of the rotation, or higher rotation option. While reliable, Will Warren got a start every five days. Once the rotation is healthy by mid summer, you would like to have more sure options in the rotation every five days than Warren, who was prone to blow ups against the top offenses in baseball.
The Yankees are among the favorites to land Tatsuya Imai, a Japanese starter this offseason. Imai posted a 1.92 ERA in 162.2 innings in Japan in 2025. Imai projects to be a middle of the rotation arm with high upside.
The Yankees could also look for starters on the trade market. Some options might include Sandy Alcantara, Freddie Peralta and Joe Ryan. The Tigers are not expected to trade Tarik Skubal unless they are blown away with a deal, which the Yankees probably won’t have the capital to do.
Some people in the Yankees organization like the idea of a reunion with Michael King, who is a free agent this offseason. King had an up and down season, with a lot of injuries. If King took a one year deal with options, it’s worth the risk, but King should not be looked at as a multi-year option.
Relief Pitching
The Yankees need a bullpen makeover. Currently, the Yankees have four relievers in their bullpen — David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill — but they need much more.
The Yankees have four open spots in the bullpen. Do not expect the Yankees to go and acquire four different relievers, but the Yankees will likely go out and get at least two pieces for their bullpen.
The Yankees have already been linked to two potential closers on the market — Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez.
Diaz is going to command a lot of money in free agency on a multi-year deal, which the Yankees have not done since Aroldis Champan in the 2016-2017 offseason. Diaz does have closing experience in New York, which is something the Yankees need to think about when looking in free agency.
Suarez is a solid option as well, and has a lot of experience closing. Suarez is on the older side, which means he won’t command as many years or as much money.
Acquiring one of Diaz or Suarez would allow the Yankees to bump everyone down the depth chart, making their overall bullpen that much stronger.
Another option the Yankees should look at is Danny Coulombe. Adding another lefty is essential for the Yankees, and was an issue at times this season for the Yankees. While the Yankees preached that pitchers like Luke Weaver and Devin Williams had reverse splits, but it’s always great to have different looks in the bullpen.
Coulombe posted a 2-1 record with a 2.30 ERA in 43.0 innings between the Twins and Rangers in 2025.
Bench Pieces
The Yankees did a good job in 2025 adding depth to their bench. It did not start out that way, because Peraza and Reyes were the main pieces on the bench, but a big trade deadline helped the bench and it’s options overall.
The Yankees need to bring in a right-handed hitting catcher, whether it’s via trade of free agency. With Rice being the primary first basemen, Escarra can be traded to make room for a righty catcher.
Amed Rosario also fits the team well, and performed well while he was in New York. Rosario was also the hype man in the dugout, which is important for any team to have good dugout vibes.
Another piece that fits the Yankees well is Kazuma Okamoto from Japan. Set to be posted in the coming days, Okamoto hit .379 vs. left-handers in 2025, something the Yankees could use in their lineup. The one thing that might prevent Okamoto from signing with New York is he might be looking for a starting job, something the Yankees don’t have to offer as of now.
The Yankees will have their work cut out for them in the coming months, but adding to the core the Yankees have right now could put this team over the top to win a World Series in 2026.
Comments