The New York Yankees have been frustratingly quietin the 2025-26 offseason, but at least they are trying to improve the roster through multiple avenues. They have reached out to the Chicago Cubs to inquire about Nico Hoerner‘s availability and have an offer for Cody Bellinger on the table.
Additionally, young hurler Carlos Lagrange has been named the 10th-best right-handed pitching prospect in baseball and is looking like a future star. Let’s dive into Monday’s news!
The Yankees have already reached out to the Cubs for potential shortstop upgrade
The Yankees’ offseason has taken a sharper, more pragmatic turn following the Cubs’ decision to sign Alex Bregman, a move that may have cracked open an unexpected trade door. New York quickly zeroed in on Hoerner as a potential infield upgrade, a clear acknowledgment that Anthony Volpe’s struggles—both offensively and defensively—can no longer be brushed aside during a championship push.
Hoerner represents stability: elite contact skills, Gold Glove–caliber defense, and relentless baserunning. While the price would be steep, likely involving a high-end pitching prospect, the Yankees appear increasingly willing to sacrifice upside for reliability as they try to maximize their current window.
Hoerner isn’t a world beater with his bat, but the fact that he has finished the last five seasons with a wRC+ between 102 and 109 speaks loudly about his consistency.
The Yankees have an offer of over $150 million on the table for Cody Bellinger
Meanwhile, negotiations with Cody Bellinger remain at a stalemate. The Yankees’ near-$160 million offer reflects how highly they value his two-way production, but the front office has drawn a firm line against a seven-year commitment.
With comparable contracts around the league reinforcing New York’s stance, both sides are entrenched in a waiting game that could ultimately force Boras to blink—or push the Yankees to pivot elsewhere. For now, the team is operating as if Bellinger may walk, even as the mutual interest in a reunion remains obvious beneath the surface.
Yankees’ Carlos Lagrange ranked as the no. 10 RHP prospect in baseball
On the pitching side, Carlos Lagrange’s meteoric rise has become impossible to ignore. Now ranked among the best right-handed pitching prospects in baseball, the 103-mph flamethrower has transformed from a relative unknown into a legitimate impact arm thanks to elite fastball traits and rapidly improving secondaries.
While command questions linger, his evolving changeup and swing-and-miss breaking pitches have scouts dreaming big, with a potential big-league arrival as soon as 2026—or even sooner if his development mirrors recent fast-rising Yankees arms. Whether he becomes a future rotation piece or a valuable trade chip, Lagrange’s emergence has strengthened the organization’s pitching depth considerably.