Yankees’ mundane offseason puts them at risk of falling behind division rivals

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has put frugality on display this offseason. Since the winter began, the Yankees have acquired just one major-leaguer who wasn’t on the roster last season. This complacency puts the team at an outsized risk of falling behind in their division.

Truth be told, the Yankees finished in a first-place tie with the Toronto Blue Jays for control of the AL East last season, a tie that favored the Jays, who later crushed them in the ALDS. But regardless of what they did last season, this year is an entirely different story. Three of their division rivals have grown much stronger.

The Boston Red Sox, who finished third last season, have lost Alex Bregman. However, their key weakness, the rotation, has been heavily fortified with the acquisitions of Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. In addition, they added Willson Contreras to an already potent offense. A rotation featuring Garrett Crochet, Suarez and Gray will be hard for any team to compete with.

The last-place Baltimore Orioles were a bit of a shock last year, as the team came in second in 2024. Bounce-back seasons from Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman could fuel a rebound; however, the O’s management has gone above and beyond in putting 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 should they add another capable starter.

The reigning AL champions, the Blue Jays, have done their part to stay ahead of the pack. Though they lost Bo Bichette, they added Dylan Cease, Tyler Rogers, Cody Ponce and Japanese star Kazuma Okamoto. Considering they mashed their way to the World Series without Bichette in both the Division and Championship Series matches, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume they could manage another trip to the Fall Classic with their revamped roster.

The Yankees’ slow offseason has destroyed their chances at making meaningful improvements 

While their rivals kept busy, the Yankees did all they could to lower payroll. Their one move affecting 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 boasting promising potential, the 26-year-old lefty owns a career 4.93 ERA. Adding uncertainty to this acquisition is the fact that Weathers has never pitched more than 86.2 innings or topped 18 starts in a single season. His main selling point beyond his potential was his three years of control.

Thus far, the Yankees have ignored their offense and bullpen. Opportunities to significantly improve either area appear to be past them now that the most suitable options are off the market. Both the lineup and the relief corps were problems for the Yankees last season.

Last summer, the Yankees’ batting order experienced a prolonged dry spell that saw the team struggle to score even a marginal number of runs, a slump that allowed the Blue Jays to take the division. In the 2025 postseason, their offense was largely carried by Aaron Judge, who was the only Yankee with over 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 slipping away. The latest reports indicate they are stepping back from this pursuit. As things stand, the Yankees are a weaker team than they were last season. If nothing changes, there is a growing chance the Yankees will be reduced to a third or fourth-place team.