Despite a crushing loss in the ALDS, I do not believe the New York Yankees took a massive stepback as an organization, which might surprise some to hear.
The Yankees went from going to the World Series to losing in the ALDS, and yet I find myself perhaps more optimistic about this team’s ceiling if they were to have a big offseason.
Last year’s team was chock full of holes to fill on the roster, whereas this group has fewer questions to answer about the Opening Day Roster.
Jasson Dominguez can slide into one of the two holes left behind with Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham hitting the market, leaving one outfield spot and the bullpen to sort out with major-ish assets.
We’re taking full advantage of that with this plan; this is what a world where Hal Steinbrenner gives an all-in pass to his GM Brian Cashman, and a world where the Yankees are able to elevate into that Dodgers tier for 2026.
Rules:
- Payroll may NOT exceed $316,000,000 in Luxury Tax Payroll (using Spotrac calculations)
- No more than 6 MLB acquisitions, MiLB acqusitions separate
- NO-TRADE: Cam Schlittler, Ben Rice, Contracts > $20 mil AAV
READ MORE: Yankees News, Oct 13: Bellinger extension? Stay away from Murakami, more
Signing Kyle Tucker to 11-year, $415 million Contract
Kyle Tucker earns the fifth-largest contract ever awarded to a player in MLB history, and he will spend the rest of his career in the Bronx with the Yankees.
What separates him from other big-money players is a very well-rounded approach, not having one 80-grade tool but having a litney of above-average traits.
Since 2023, Kyle Tucker has hit for a higher average than Steven Kwan, posted a better OBP than Bryce Harper, and genrated a greater SLG% than Rafael Devers, which is why he’s top 10 in OPS and wRC+ over that stretch.
The high Pull% on flyballs makes Tucker a hitter who would benefit from playing 50% of his games at Yankee Stadium, something that helped Cody Bellinger after leaving the unfriendly confines of Wrigley Field.
Bellinger experienced a near 100-point drop-off in OPS when looking at his road splits compared to his home splits, while Kyle Tucker’s OPS by over 150 points when he played at home this year.
Wrigley Field is a poor ballpark for left-handed batters due to a somewhat deep right field while having the wind blowing balls in that would normally leave the yard.
Kyle Tucker could go back to hitting 30 home runs a year for the Yankees, bringing a savvy baserunner and excellent plate skills as well.
He’s inside the top four in BB/K rate over the last three seasons, drawing one more walk than he has strikeouts between the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Yes, this forces Jasson Dominguez in centerfield, but I think it’s a risk worth taking to see if he can be a capable defender knowing that Kyle Tucker could be your no. 3 hitter for years to come.
The Yankees did not care about the defensive alignment when it tried to form a 16-year union with Juan Soto nor did it care about that alignment when they tried to trade for him that very same offseason.
He’s the best player available; they need to make it work and land a star.
Adding a Pair of Funky Relievers to the Bullpen
Hunter Harvey missed most of the 2025 season due to various injuries, but over the past four seasons he’s been one of the most underrated relievers in baseball.
The right-hander owns a 3.07 ERA while sporting a 27.4% K%, overpowering hitters with a good four-seam fastball and excellent splitter.
We saw the Yankees acquire a lot of pitchers with good splitters or changeups, making Harvey a good fit for the organization’s preferences in the bullpen.
He also possesses a tight gyro slider that works well against lefties and righties, and I think at $6 million he would sign with the Yankees.
It’s a low-cost move with some risk, but if he can maintain a K-BB% above 20% and remain healthy, the Yankees could have an excellent middle-inning weapon for their bullpen.
Garrett Cleavinger is the second arm I’d add for this bullpen, and his excellent sliders paired with high-velocity has made him a tough out in the big leagues.
This past season he posted a 2.35 ERA with a 33.7% K% from the left-handed side, and this could give the Yankees a supercharged bullpen that’s capable of putting up elite strikeout numbers.
The Yankees would send Chase Hampton and T.J. Rumfield for Garrett Cleavinger, who has two more years of control following the 2025 season.
With both Cleavinger and Harvey, the Yankees spend roughly $10 million to put together an excellent bullpen, and now we can focus on rounding out their bench.
Preserving the Yankees’ Excellent Bench Depth From Last Year
I would expect the Reds to decline the $12 million option for Austin Hays, who has experience playing centerfield but has settled into a role as a corner outfielder.
He still has the range and arm to play centerfield in a pinch, sporting a .949 OPS against left-handed pitching this season and a career .816 OPS in those matchups.
The market for Hays won’t be dead since right-handed outfielders are valuable in an era where lefties are dominating the game, but I’d expect him to sign for around what he did last year, $5 million.
With Jose Caballero on the bench as well, the Yankees can sub-in two righties when they face a tough left-handed hitter, and Oswaldo Cabrera returns as another utilityman for infield depth.
J.C. Escarra remains my backup catcher, and we’ll round out the winter with some non-tenders in the form of Scott Effross and Ian Hamilton which opens up about $1.7 millon according to Spotrac.
The final bill totals to $51 million, putting the Yankees’ Luxury Tax payroll at between $304-$305 million for the 2026 season.
So, how did we do?
How Do the 2026 Yankees Look In This Scenario?
Looking first at the offense, the 13 players on this roster combined for a 121 wRC+ and .799 OPS in 2025, having +10.4 BsR to go with a dynamic group of bats.
They were proficient at working walks, generating damage contact, and swiping bases, a combination that could result in droves of runs come October.
A +12 Fielding Run Value indicates that this group would be solid defensively, with the hope being that Anthony Volpe snaps back into his 2024 defensive form while Jasson Dominguez isn’t a complete disaster out in centerfield.
On the pitching side of things, they would form a dangerously good pitching staff as they combined for a 3.38 ERA and 3.63 xERA, striking out 25.1% of batters faced.
The rotation could get Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt back later in the year, but the bullpen might end up being the best part of this team.
These eight relievers combined for a 27.5% K%, 3.44 ERA, 3.35 xERA, and a 50% GB%, combining elite-level whiff rates with good damage prevention.
All-in-all, this is a team more than capable of winning the American League, and it could be argued as the best team in the Baby Bomber Era on paper.