Apr 16, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay watches batting practice prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

Yankees Broadcaster Criticizes Brian Cashman’s Roster Remarks

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Joseph Randazzo | Last updated Feb 1, 2026 11:00 AM ET

Earlier this weekend, Brian Cashman was asked about the New York Yankees bringing back the same roster as the 2025 season, which ended in an ugly way at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays and, at one point, blew a seven-game lead in the American League East. Cashman scoffed at the notion.

To Cashman , it's a different team. The reasons he cited were the return of Gerrit Cole and the fact that trade additions, David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, were not there to start the 2025 season. Now they'll get a full season with this trove of former All-Stars.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

One person who critiqued this particular defense was the team's broadcaster, Michael Kay. According to Kay, Cashman should own the fact that they like their team and believe it can stack up against anyone.

"You are running it back," Kay said on his ESPN Radio show. "So rather than fight the words, you are running it back. The answer should be, 'We're bringing back the same team because we think that team is great. We think that team, under the right circumstances, would be able to beat anybody and get to the World Series.' That's the answer."

The Roster as Constructed

Whether running it back is the correct answer or not, it's clear this is the Yankees' line of thinking. For all the ugly moments, they feel this is a great team, and in terms of the lineup, they are correct there. It was one of the most potent in the league last season.

Their 119 wRC+ was first in baseball. Second to them were the Dodgers and Mariners with 112. Their 274 homers were exactly 30 more than the Dodgers, who, second behind them in that category, hit 244.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The big issue with the Yankees, though, isn't the lineup. It was that bullpen. On paper, the rotation has a chance at being one of the best in baseball — potentially one of the best in years once ace Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are back — but it was the pen that doomed them, and they didn't make any notable additions to it.

The Yankees turned blowing games into an art form, and that wasn't more evident than that ugly game against the Marlins, where they blew multiple massive leads while scoring a ton of runs. It was the 2025 Yankees in a nutshell. Prolific slugging, just to throw it all away.

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