Aug 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone (17) looks on from the dugout before a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Yankees Still Nowhere Near World Series Contenders

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Jordon Lawrenz | Last updated Jan 25, 2026 6:00 PM ET

In a world where the New York Yankees made the World Series two seasons ago, they may be nowhere near getting back to that point.

The likes of the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, among many other teams continue to get better while the Yankees remain the same.

Money is no excuse as the Yankees are in a major market and could do whatever they want. Instead of bringing in the likes of Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette, Edward Cabrera, or Freddy Peralta, they re-signed Cody Bellinger and are content with that.

Time and time again other teams made moves that the Yankees easily could've, but for whatever reason they deemed weren't necessary. In a few months time, we'll see how much that actually harmed them.

Yankees Rolling Out Extremely Similar Roster

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No matter how many times Michael Kay defends this team, there's no excuse for only signing a bunch of guys to minor league contracts. The notable moves they made were bringing back someone who played well for them last year and trading quite a few prospects for a pitcher.

No offense to Ryan Weathers, but that addition is not going to lead them to a World Series. The Houston Astros took a huge chance on Tatsuya Imai, a star pitcher the Yankees were long linked to, but once again never pulled the trigger on.

Of the top free agents available, one could argue Bellinger was the worst of the bunch. Thankfully for the Yankees, they held their ground in terms of the contract, but that doesn't mean the signing puts them at the top of the power rankings.

Quiet Offseason Paves Way For Busy Deadline

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If the Yankees want to compete with their in-state rival or the team that beat them in the 2024 World Series, they need to be aggressive. Sitting back and watching other teams makes moves doesn't benefit anyone, and the Yankees are about to learn that the hard way.

That said, this team may have a trick or two still up their sleeve. They know their pitching depth is going to be as strong as ever, it's just a matter of getting to where everyone is 100%.

The trade deadline will be a key time for this team to make a few moves that could potentially make up for their slow offseason. Until the Yankees prove their fans wrong, there's no reason to believe this team is good enough to win the World Series.

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