In fairness, the Yankees finished last season tied for first place with the Toronto Blue Jays for control of the AL East, a tie in favor of the Jays, who later crushed them in the ALDS. But regardless of what they did last season, this year is a completely different story. Three of their division rivals have become much stronger.
The Boston Red Sox, who finished third last season, have lost Alex Bregman. However, their main weakness, the rotation, has been heavily strengthened by the acquisitions of Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. Additionally, they added Willson Contreras to an already potent offense. A rotation with Garrett Crochet, Suarez and Gray will be difficult for any team to compete with.
The last-place Baltimore Orioles were a bit of a shock last year, as the team finished second in 2024. Returning seasons from Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman could spark a rebound; However, the O’s management has done its best to put together a brand new team. Baltimore is now home to Pete Alonso, Shane Baz, Ryan Helsley, Taylor Ward and Andrew Kittredge, a group that could push the Orioles into contention if they were to add another capable starter.
The reigning AL champions, the Blue Jays, have done their part to stay ahead. Although they lost Bo Bichette, they added Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers, Cody Ponce and Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto. Considering they battled their way to the World Series in both the Division and Championship Series games without Bichette, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume they could make another trip to the Fall Classic with their revamped roster.
The Yankees’ sluggish offseason has destroyed their chances for meaningful improvement
While their rivals stayed busy, the Yankees did everything they could to reduce payroll costs. Their only move that affected their roster that wasn’t a re-signing involved trading four prospects (including three of their top 30 prospects) for Marlins starter Ryan Weathers. Despite showing promising potential, the 26-year-old lefty owns a career 4.93 ERA. What makes this acquisition even more uncertain is the fact that Weathers has never thrown more than 86.2 innings or surpassed 18 starts in a single season. His main selling point, outside of his potential, was his three-year control.
So far, the Yankees have ignored their offense and bullpen. Opportunities to significantly improve both areas seem to be passing by now that the most suitable options are no longer on the market. Both the lineup and the relief corps were problems for the Yankees last season.
Last summer, the Yankees’ batting order suffered an extended dry spell in which the team struggled to score even a marginal number of runs, a slump that allowed the Blue Jays to take over the division. In the 2025 postseason, their offense was largely carried by Aaron Judge, the only Yankee with more than 20 at-bats and an OPS higher than .651 (1.273).
Now, the Yankees’ offseason goal of retaining Cody Bellinger has become a necessity, and one that is disappearing. The latest reports indicate that they are taking a step back from this endeavor. As things stand, the Yankees are a weaker team than last season. If nothing changes, the Yankees are more likely to be dropped to a third- or fourth-place team.
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