WILL SANTA DELIVER CODY BELLINGER TO THE YANKEES THIS WEEK?

This has been such a lackluster holiday season for Yankee fans so far. While the Mets continue to sign ghosts of Yankees past we sit around waiting for something exciting to happen. Something besides Yankees signing minor league castoffs...because that's all we have right now.

That could all change IF we could get Cody Bellinger back. But Cody's rumor mill has more ups and downs in it than I can even keep up with these days. No one really understands what his asking price is, and that became even more obvious when Yankees insider Jack Curry made an appearance Yankees Hot Stove on YES Network.

It's no secret Cody wants a multi-year deal with high annual value, and since he has Scott Boras as his agent that's exactly the kinds of deals he gets for his clients. The Yankees want Cody back but....there has been zero traction. According to NJ.com HERE, NO TEAM, has come close to the asking price for Cody. That could be good news for us....but that could be bad as well.

Back in November, MLB Trade Rumors posted their predictions for free agent signings, with Cody's prediction of 5 years and $140 million. The Mets and the Dodgers are in the mix for Cody, and we all know the Dodgers have no problems spending big money with deferrals and Steve Cohen threw his money around last winter only to not make the playoffs. He's looking to rebound this season.

If Cody's market isn't hopping right now, teams have plenty of time to wait and let it develop. With Kyle Tucker in the mix, Boras will likely want to see what he signs for to set the market and then let it play out from there. While we may be in a hurry for traction, we could be waiting a while for resolution. 

At this point, the Yankees really need to make some moves. If the Yankees don't make some moves and our rivals get stronger it's going to be a disaster. The Yankees were one of nine teams to surpass the $241 million base threshold and now have to pay $61.8 million in luxury tax penalties now. The Mets and Dodgers have a lot more to pay than that and they are not shying away from spending money....so I guess we will wait and see just how cheap Hal Steinbrenner is.

The outfield is an area of need for the Yankees. I've already said this before but the Yankees have Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez as backup options and neither of those are good enough. We've already seen Dominguez and Jones has struggled enough that he just made it to Triple-A this season....and he''' be 25 years old in May.  

Is Brian Cashman even working? It doesn't feel like it. I was really hoping for Cody under the tree this winter. It doesn't sound like he will be here for Christmas but I will still be happy if he's in pinstripes by Spring Training.

We really need some holiday magic around here...

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

BLACKBURN RETURNS IN THE NEWEST CHEAP CASHMAN MOVE

 The Yankees did it again. Because of course they did.

Saturday night, the team agreed to re-sign Paul Blackburn on a one-year, $2 million deal. And if your first reaction was “wait… why?” congratulations — you’re still paying attention. There is absolutely nothing worse than a franchise bringing back a player that no fan wanted, asked for, or even remembered. Blackburn checks all three boxes.

Naturally, the New York Post tried to slap lipstick on it.

According to the Post, this is why fans should calm down:

“That is of note because Blackburn offers the ability to start — which the Yankees might need early in the season as they await the returns of Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole — but also can provide innings out of the bullpen.”

Please. Stop. Just stop.

That’s not a selling point — that’s a cry for help. “He can start, or he can be bad somewhere else” is not roster construction. It’s survival mode. And it’s exactly the kind of nonsense spin you get when expectations have fallen through the floor.

Let’s be honest: this move wasn’t smart, bold, or strategic. It was cheap. And that’s why Brian Cashman loves it. Low cost, low commitment, low accountability. Blackburn has zero upside. None. 

And now he’s back. Because mediocrity apparently gets second chances in the Bronx, as long as it’s affordable.

This is what complacency looks like. Cashman isn’t chasing championships anymore — he’s managing payroll optics. And worse, he’s clearly handcuffed by Hal Steinbrenner, who continues to show he is not a serious baseball owner. Hal runs the Yankees like they’re a quarterly earnings report, not a historic franchise built on dominance. Spend just enough to say you tried. Compete just enough to sell tickets.

And Cashman? He’s comfortable with that. Which is exactly why he should resign. Today would be fine.

Now take a look at the 2026 rotation as it currently stands:
Max Fried
Cam Schlittler
Luis Gil
Will Warren
Ryan Yarbrough

If that doesn’t scare the hell out of you, then by all means — keep buying tickets and enjoy another early playoff exit. For me? I’ll always support the players. They didn’t ask for this mess.

But I cannot — and will not — spend another dime supporting this franchise as an institution. The standards are gone. The ambition is gone. And the front office thinks fans are stupid enough to believe that Paul Blackburn is a meaningful move.

They’ve ruined it.
And this signing is just another loud reminder of how far the Yankees have fallen.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ JUST CALLED OUT THE YANKEES...

And the example he gave? Anthony Volpe.

Yup, here we go again, because you already know how much I can’t stand Anthony Volpe being cemented at shortstop.

First of all, he never should’ve been there to begin with. And yeah, I’m going to say what everyone dances around: it feels like someone in the Yankees’ scouting department knew his dad, made a few friendly phone calls, and suddenly this kid was pushed to the front of the line. Let me be crystal clear before anyone loses their mind — this is just my opinion. I have no proof. No sources. Zero evidence. Just a gut feeling.

Because otherwise, none of this makes sense. How does a guy who didn’t exactly dominate the minor leagues become the Yankees’ unquestioned shortstop? Not compete for it — own it. Like, it was handed to him. He wasn’t some can’t-miss MiLB monster. Yet here we are pretending this was inevitable.

And now? Now Alex Rodriguez is saying it out loud — and for once, he’s dead right.

In a WFAN Sports Radio interview, A-Rod called out Anthony Volpe as a symptom of the Yankees’ completely broken hitting philosophy. And he didn’t sugarcoat it.

“The organization has fallen in love with him, but at some point the numbers don’t lie, right?” Rodriguez said.

Then came the part the Yankees hate most — the receipts.

“You have 167 strikeouts [in 2023], 156 [in 2024] and 150 [in 2025], and here’s a young man that the biggest way he can impact winning is with his number one tool: his legs.”

Exactly. Speed is supposed to be the selling point. Pressure. Chaos. Movement.

Instead?

“Here’s a young man who has over 50 stolen bases in the minor leagues, he stole 18 last year, and it’s hard to impact winning when you’re striking out 150 times and you’re hitting .212.”

That’s not hate — that’s math. And math doesn’t care about prospect rankings or feel-good stories.

Rodriguez didn’t stop there. He widened the lens and dropped the real indictment.

“So I think if you zoom out, it’s an organization hitting philosophy that is absolutely broken, and until they fix it, I don’t think they win big.”

That’s the whole thing, right there. This isn’t just about Volpe. It’s about an organization that falls in love with its own narratives and refuses to adjust when reality punches back.

But here’s where I’ll go even further than A-Rod: they’re not just using Volpe wrong — New York is wrong for Volpe. This city doesn’t have patience for on-the-job development, and the Yankees keep trying to turn shortstop into a training seminar. Boone coddles him nightly, mistakes get explained away, and the standard keeps sliding.

It’s sad. It’s embarrassing. And it’s wasting time.

Want a real fix? Trade him. Miami needs bats. The Yankees need stability. Give me Sandy Alcantara and take the experiment with you. We don’t need or want Anthony Volpe. What we need are players who already know how to play the game — not guys learning it under the brightest lights in sports.

And don’t worry, Brian Cashman will emerge in a few days to explain how Alex Rodriguez “doesn’t understand the inner workings of the Yankees’ front office.” He’ll be wrong. Again.

This is no longer a serious franchise. If you don’t believe me, look at what they’ve collected over the past few weeks. Not one immediate impact player. Not one difference-maker. Just more bodies for a roster that desperately needs solutions.

We don’t need a better minor league system.
We need a competitive major league team.

And whether people like it or not, Anthony Volpe has become the perfect example of everything the Yankees are getting wrong.

That's it.  Call me a hater, and you tell me where I am really wrong here. I'm not. Sorry.

YANKS "LINKED" TO, THEN SAT OUT ON MUNETAKA MURAKAMI

The Yankees were as rumored to kicked the tires, squinted really hard, and—shockingly—did absolutely nothing.

Munetaka Murakami, the Japanese masher who was loosely, vaguely, technically connected to the Yankees in the most non-committal way possible, has officially moved on. He’s headed to Chicago. The other Chicago. Yes, the White Sox.

According to Yahoo Sports’ Russell Dorsey, the Yakult Swallows’ star third baseman agreed to a two-year, $34 million deal. Murakami is just 25 years old, absurdly young for a free agent with this kind of résumé, and brings the kind of raw, terrifying power teams usually claim doesn’t exist anymore.

This is the same Murakami who obliterated Sadaharu Oh’s NPB single-season home run record in 2022 with 56 bombs, became the youngest Triple Crown winner in Japanese baseball history, and won Central League MVP at 21. Sure, there’s risk. There’s always risk. But there’s also upside—and that’s apparently a foreign concept in the Bronx these days.

So while the White Sox actually took a chance, the Yankees did what they do best: watched from a safe distance, nodded thoughtfully, and congratulated themselves on not “overpaying.”

Another bat with real upside gone. Another opportunity missed.

Oh well. Onto the next “we were linked” headline... and it doesn't surprise you if you are a Yankee fan these days.

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YANKS DESPERATE TO FIX THEIR PLAYERS, BUT NOT THEIR FRONT OFFICE

THE YANKEE PUPPET APPEARS CLUELESS ONCE AGAIN

Aaron Boone went in front of the microphones again and somehow managed to say absolutely nothing for several uninterrupted minutes. It’s honestly a skill at this point. If professional rambling were an Olympic sport, Boone would have a locker full of gold medals and still tell us the process is “ongoing.”

Let’s be clear: Boone doesn’t know anything. He isn’t steering the ship, he’s not reading the map, and he sure as hell isn’t calling the shots. He’s a well-paid ventriloquist dummy whose mouth moves while the front office throws its voice. He exists to absorb questions, deflect blame, and waste everyone’s time in the Bronx.

You can sell me the fairy tale that “the players respect him” all you want. Cool. Respect doesn’t sign free agents. Respect doesn’t stop players from bolting the moment they can. Respect doesn’t explain why big-time talent is looking at the Yankees this offseason and saying, “Nah, I’m good.” The league sees what’s happening here—even if Boone pretends not to and Cashman isn't helping at all.

And honestly? The worst part of all of this is Aaron Judge and Max Fried. Two elite players, right in the middle of their primes, watching years get flushed away while the Yankees cosplay as contenders. Judge should be chasing rings, not quotes about “tweaks.” Fried didn’t come here to be part of a vibes-based rebuild disguised as a win-now roster.

Then Boone drops this gem to the press, telling us he “knows” the Yankees are really good, that things “aren’t finished,” that there will be “tweaks,” and that whatever happens, the expectation is greatness. Translation: don’t ask me anything hard, don’t expect specifics, and please remember none of this is actually my responsibility.

Credit to Greg Joyce of the New York Post for doing his job—because he always does it very well—but Boone’s answers are pure oxygen theft. I genuinely don’t know why beat writers even bother asking him questions anymore. The only reason they don’t go nuclear on him is because they’d lose clubhouse access, and everyone knows it. That’s the sad, quiet part no one wants to admit out loud. By the way, I'm not even posting the video, because it's stupid. A whole lot of nothing and non-answers.

Boone is a baffoon. He’s clueless. And yes, dare I say it—he’s stupid when it comes to actually leading a championship-caliber team. If this franchise is “really good,” then explain the playoff failures. Explain the October no-shows. Explain how a team with this payroll, this history, and this many chances still hasn’t won a championship on his watch.

Fans should be screaming this from the rooftops, but too many are asleep at the wheel. The Yankees are no longer dominant. They are no longer feared. They are no longer the center of the baseball universe—and Boone standing there nodding along like everything’s fine is the perfect symbol of how far this has fallen.

If Aaron Boone can look at this roster, this offseason, this track record, and confidently tell us the Yankees are great, then shame on him. Because reality keeps proving otherwise.

MINOR LEAGUE SIGNINGS IS THE NEW YORK YANKEE STRATEGY

 More of the same. Different names, same song, same headache.

While the rest of baseball at least pretends to care about getting better, the Yankees’ offseason highlight reel continues to be… refreshing the transactions page. No splashes. No ambition from the Yankees front office. Just a steady drizzle of minor-league signings and a front office that somehow looks proud of it.

The latest additions to the ever-growing “maybe someday” pile:

• Zack Short, an all-glove, no-bat utility type who can bounce around 2B, 3B, and SS. Solid instincts, decent arm, draws some walks — basically the human embodiment of roster flexibility with zero fear of accidentally hitting 20 home runs. He’s had recent MLB coffee with the Astros, which is apparently enough to get the Yankees excited these days.

• Travis MacGregor, once a second-round pick by the Pirates back in 2016. That was nine years ago. He still hasn’t sniffed the majors. But hey, potential never expires in the Bronx — it just gets reassigned to Scranton.

• Chase Chaney, a minor-league free agent who topped out at Double-A last season. A 4.30 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP, and the kind of scouting report that includes phrases like “untapped potential,” “movement,” and “competitiveness” — which is code for “we hope something clicks eventually.”

And look, I’m sure all three guys work hard, want it badly, and dream of putting on pinstripes. No shots at the players themselves. But this is the New York Yankees, not a long-term science experiment.

So, I’ll ask — again — the question nobody in the Bronx seems interested in answering...

Are the Yankees trying to compete, or are they just stockpiling bodies to rebuild a depleted farm system while punting on the big-league product?

Because right now, it feels less like an offseason plan and more like organizational autopilot. Stay the course. Avoid risk. Hope for miracles. Repeat.

This isn’t strategy.
This isn’t ambition.
This is madness.

THE YANKEES BULLPEN IS OFFICIALLY DEPLETED

The pitchers that the Yankees used to have in their bullpen are fleeing... leaving Camilo Doval and Dave Bednar to take care it of by themselves.  And where is Brian Cashman?  I assuming in the fetal position in the center of his bed in a dark room.  Why do I picture this? Because there is literally no excuse for the General Manager of the biggest, strongest franchise in baseball history to be sitting on his hands and not spending a dime or even TRYING to retain talent to be on the Yankees. Which means only one thing; the Beast of the Bronx is done.  We are no longer scary, dominant, strong or intimidating.  We are the Marlins of the Northeast, and it's the worst I've seen this team since 1990.  What the hell are we doing as an organization? I am being serious. Tell me. 

The Braves made it official on Friday: right-hander Ian Hamilton is heading to Atlanta on a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. Another former Yankee, another fresh start, another reminder that the Bronx bullpen is slowly turning into a ghost town.

Hamilton spent the 2025 season wearing pinstripes, logging 36 appearances and a 4.28 ERA over 40 innings. The numbers don’t exactly leap off the page, but anyone who actually watched knows Hamilton’s story with the Yankees isn’t told by a single stat line. This is the same guy who came out of absolutely nowhere in 2023, armed with that funky “Slambio” pitch, and somehow turned himself into a legitimate setup option. No hype, no pedigree—just results. For a while, he was one of the rare bullpen surprises that actually worked.

Then came the injuries. Then came the roster shuffling. Then came the classic Yankees ending: a non-tender in late 2025 and a quiet exit out the side door.

Now Hamilton is gone, too—joining the long parade of relievers who once filled the Yankees bullpen and now populate everyone else’s. If you’re keeping score at home, that bullpen is looking less like a strength and more like a clearance rack.

Was I ever banging the table for the return Ian Hamilton? No, but that's not the point. But I understood what he brought. He worked. He competed. He showed up. He was solid, he was respected in the room, and—this part matters—he was a body. A usable, capable body in a bullpen that is currently running on fumes.

The Yankees are depleted, folks. This isn’t dramatic, and it’s not nitpicking. It’s reality. Arms keep leaving, replacements don’t keep coming, and the plan—if there is one—remains invisible. 

Hamilton landing with the Braves isn’t a franchise-altering move, but it’s another small, annoying reminder that the Yankees keep letting useful pieces walk… and there’s no clear end in sight.

TYLER AUSTIN IS BACK!

Y’all remember Tyler Austin, right? Yeah — that Tyler Austin. A certified stud and a not-so-small part of the early heartbeat of Bleeding Yankee Blue. 

Back when Bleeding Yankee Blue was building and grinding, trying to carve out a voice, guys like Tyler, Ty Hensley, CC Sabathia, Brendan Ryan and David Robertson didn’t big-time us. They showed love. They backed us. And that stuff? You don’t forget it.

We’ve always respected the hell out of those guys, and we’ll always keep tabs on them here. Loyalty matters. Especially when it was real from the jump.

So yeah — Tyler Austin is back in the news.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Chicago Cubs just signed Austin to a one-year, $1.25 million deal. Not bad at all for a guy who took the long road and made it work.

Austin, now 34, spent the last six seasons in Japan absolutely mashing — slashing .293/.377/.568 with 85 homers and 236 RBI over 1,491 plate appearances. That’s not “hanging on.” That’s thriving.

We met Tyler and his mom, Kim, about 11 years ago when he was still climbing the ladder — minors to majors, dream very much in progress. With the Yankees, he showed legit pop, including 17 home runs in 2018, and he always felt like a guy who could’ve stuck if the breaks fell differently. Personally, I wanted him around longer. But instead of fading, he bet on himself, reinvented his game, and leveled up overseas. I respect the hell out of that.

So here’s a tip of the cap to Tyler Austin — always. Keep raking. Keep proving people wrong.

And hey Kim — hope you’re doing great.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: TYLER AUSTIN... WONDERBOY

YANKEES EVEN MISS A SHOT AT MICHAEL KING

My mind is blown. I mean, is Brian Cashman even working?

The Yankees actually had a lane to bring Michael King back. Did I personally want him? No. Was I lighting candles hoping for a reunion tour? Absolutely not. But the idea of King stabilizing the rotation while Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón rehab their way back to relevance? That at least made some sense.

Let’s be clear: Michael King was never some ace savior. He’s not walking in as a No. 1, or even pretending to be one. But as a No. 4 who eats innings, keeps games respectable, and prevents the bullpen from spontaneously combusting? I had zero issue with that. And yet—shockingly—Brian Cashman couldn’t land that either.

Instead, King is staying right where competence exists: San Diego. Three years. Seventy-five million dollars. Deal done. West Coast sun, Padres uniform, problem solved—for them.

King gets a $12 million signing bonus, pocket change by modern baseball standards. He’ll make $5 million in 2026, then holds all the cards with player options worth $28 million in 2027 and $30 million in 2028. Flexibility for the player. Commitment from the team. You know—basic front office functionality.

Meanwhile, the Yankees get nothing. Again.

So, I’ll repeat the question, louder for the people in the executive suites: what the fuck is Brian Cashman doing? Because whatever it is, it’s not building a contender. It’s not supporting a rotation held together with medical tape. And it sure as hell isn’t acting like a franchise that supposedly expects championships.

At this point, fans need to stop playing along.

Boycott.
Boycott.
Boycott.

Cancel the tickets. Skip the games. Stop lying to yourself that it’ll magically fix itself. It won’t—until Hal, Randy, Cashman, Boone, and the bloated analytics department finally feel something they haven’t felt in years: fear.

Let them panic. Let them sweat. Let them realize Yankee fans aren’t loyal to pinstripes out of habit—we’re loyal to excellence.

And excellence?
It doesn’t live in the Bronx anymore.

Oh—and before anyone asks? You know I’m right.

CLUELESS YANKEE FRONT OFFICE SIGNS ANOTHER MINOR LEAGUER

Don’t panic, everyone — the Yankees did something. They signed another guy to a minor league deal. Hang the banner. Meanwhile, actual difference-makers are just sitting out there, some via trade, some in free agency, practically begging to be picked up. This should be an easy offseason if the goal is winning baseball games. But for reasons known only to Brian Cashman and the clueless think-tank of front-office yes-men, the Yankees have done absolutely nothing to improve the franchise. Nothing meaningful. Nothing bold. Nothing that suggests they even know what they’re trying to build a 2026 winner.

And recently we found out why. Cashman himself admitted he never even wanted the Yankees GM job, saying the role under George Steinbrenner was brutally stressful, with constant pressure and short leashes — but hey, he was “smart enough not to turn it down.” He said this on YES. Out loud. So now that the truth is out, what exactly are we watching here? Is he quietly hoping to get fired? Or does he genuinely believe that complacency is some next-gen strategy we’re all too dumb to understand? Because the guy I once respected as a GM now just looks like a lifer going through the motions — attached at the hip to his equally lifeless manager buddy, Aaron Boone. 

And judging by the sea of Fire Boone and Mission Accomplished Cashman Clown shirt purchases, I’m not alone. Thank you for your support.

Which brings us to the latest nothingburger: Payton Henry, signed to a minor league deal. Yes, that Payton Henry who once played for the Brewers. A glove-first catcher with a decent arm, some game-calling chops, and a bat that shows up about as often as Cashman’s urgency. He’s had a couple of cups of coffee with the Marlins, hit inconsistently, and mostly lived in the minors. 

And I’m supposed to get excited about this? Why are we wasting time on this? Austin Wells might be a terrible catcher, but at least he occasionally runs into a homer between stretches of hitting .200. This move doesn’t fix a problem — it just fills space.

So yeah, I’m done. 

Done until the front office cleans house and starts acting like it gives a damn. This team isn’t competitive, the leadership doesn’t seem to care, and I don’t tolerate liars. Especially not when Hal Steinbrenner has the nerve to suggest a franchise pulling in around $728 million in revenue isn’t profitable. That’s not spin — that’s insulting. But sure. We got Payton Henry. OH BOY. 

Somebody wake me up when the Yankees decide to stop wasting everyone’s time.

BRIAN CASHMAN BLOWS IT AGAIN

Here we go again. Another winter, another bullpen arm slips through the Yankees’ fingers while Brian Cashman stares into the middle distance like he’s waiting for the market to apologize to him.

Brad Keller—yes, that Brad Keller—was right there. A right-hander with mid-90s heat, a splitter that eats bats, and a career reboot that turned him from “rotation filler” into a full-blown relief menace. His 2025 season with the Cubs? A flat-out breakout. A 2.07 ERA, hitters pounding the ball straight into the dirt, and the kind of profile that should make the Yankees drool given, you know, their stadium.

And what happened? Keller signs a perfectly reasonable two-year, $22 million deal with the Phillies.

The Yankees? Missing in action. Again.

Yes, it’s been reported they were “interested.” Which in Yankees front-office language means they glanced at the name, muttered something about flexibility, and went right back to doing nothing. Interest without action is just PR, and Cashman has mastered that art form. Like, serious question... who is ACTUALLY making decisions in the Yankees front office? Feels like nobody.

Let’s take inventory for a second. Devin Williams is gone (don’t worry, we didn’t want him anyway). Luke Weaver is gone. Mark Leiter Jr. is gone. This bullpen has holes you could throw a rosin bag through. Logic would suggest the Yankees should be pounding on every agent’s door looking for high-end relievers who actually miss barrels.

Instead, Keller walks.

Empire Sports Media summed it up nicely—and painfully—when they peeled back the numbers:

“Missing out on Keller stings even more when you peel back the layers of his 2025 dominance. He wasn’t just getting outs; he was suffocating opposing hitters with a batted-ball profile that ranks among the best in the sport.

Keller ranked in the 99th percentile for hard-hit rate and the 95th percentile for ground ball percentage, a lethal combination that effectively neutralizes the home run ball. In Yankee Stadium, where fly balls go to die in the short porch, having a pitcher who keeps the ball on the ground 56.6% of the time is a luxury the Yankees let slip away.”

Read that again. A ground-ball monster. In Yankee Stadium. And the Yankees passed.

So what’s the plan now? Hope David Bednar and Camilo Doval can shoulder everything? That’s not a terrifying bullpen—that’s a prayer circle. Good arms, sure. Elite, depth-loaded, October-proof? Not even close.

Which brings us back to the same exhausting questions we ask every offseason:
What exactly is Brian Cashman doing?
What exactly is Hal Steinbrenner doing?
Why is this franchise allergic to urgency?
Why does “being competitive” always seem optional?

This used to be a serious organization. Now it feels like a brand that sells nostalgia while cutting corners everywhere else. A complacent GM. A manager who survives on loyalty instead of results. An owner who keeps cashing checks while telling fans to be patient.

And honestly? It’s getting hard to care.

So, here’s the uncomfortable truth: the only leverage left belongs to us fans. Stop showing up. Stop buying tickets. Stop buying the gear. Starve the machine until it’s forced to change. Blame the front office—never the players—and make it clear that this level of apathy is unacceptable.

Because right now, being a Yankees fan doesn’t feel like pride. It feels like endurance. And I’m tired of it.

WEAVER TO THE METS & THE YANKEES STILL HAVEN'T MAKE A SIGNIFCANT MOVE

If this is what urgency looks like in the Bronx, someone needs to check the pulse.

The Yankees have officially sleepwalked into MLB free agency, and the early returns are… Amed Rosario and Ryan Yarbrough. That’s it. Two names that scream “placeholder,” not “contender.”  Meanwhile, the rest of the league is out here shopping like it’s Black Friday, and the Yankees are squinting at the clearance rack like they forgot their wallet.

At some point, we have to say the quiet part out loud: the Yankees do not appear to care about being competitive or even good in 2026.

And yes, before anyone reaches for the PR talking points, this is the same organization whose owner, Hal Steinbrenner, once suggested the Yankees are not a profitable franchise—which we all know is fucking bullshit. This is the New York Yankees, not a roadside lemonade stand. They print money in their sleep. Claiming poverty while fielding a half-asleep roster is insulting, not convincing.

The bullpen situation is a perfect snapshot of the rot. The Yankees desperately need relief pitching, yet somehow managed to sit on their hands while most of the high-end bullpen arms flew off the board. Even worse, several of those signings happened right in the AL East. Translation: the Yankees aren’t just standing still—they’re actively falling behind.

And if you want to see what a serious franchise looks like, glance north. The Blue Jays get it. They’re bringing in top-tier talent, players ready to win now. They look hungry. They look aggressive. Right now, they look like the new kings of the AL East, while the Yankees look like a brand living off past glory.

Then there’s the Luke Weaver situation, which somehow manages to be both baffling and infuriating.

According to Joel Sherman, “The Yankees were not part of the bidding to try to retain Weaver.” Not “they got outbid.” Not “they made an offer but fell short.” No—they didn’t even show up.

This is insanity.

Weaver was a legitimate bullpen weapon for the Yankees in 2025. Even if he wasn’t at the top of their wish list, you don’t just ignore a quality arm who already proved he could handle New York. Not even entertaining a conversation—especially when the contract was two years, $22 million—is organizational malpractice.

And now? Weaver heads across town to the Mets, where he’ll pitch alongside former Yankees Clay Holmes and Devin Williams. That alone should be humiliating.

But here’s the real question: it’s not “Why did Weaver go to the Mets?” It’s why the fuck didn’t the Yankees even try?

The Yankees are the ones who created the Weaver mess in the first place. He was a top closer down the stretch two years ago, and then Brian Cashman brought in Williams and detonated the bullpen hierarchy. Roles vanished. Confidence evaporated. Nobody knew where they stood—Weaver included, Williams included, everyone included. It was the dumbest bullpen decision Cashman made in 2025, and that’s saying something.

And now the follow-up act is even worse: they let Weaver walk without a phone call, without a pitch, without a pulse.

So, what’s the plan?

Nothing.

No replacement. No backup move. No urgency. Just another useful arm drifting away while the Yankees act completely fine with it. That tells you everything you need to know. This wasn’t a tough decision—they were comfortable letting him go.

This is why Yankees fans are furious. This is why the organization feels hollow. The Yankees don’t look competitive. They don’t look gritty. They don’t even look like they want to win anymore.

It’s not just disturbing—it’s embarrassing.

MAYBE CASHMAN SHOULD HAVE SIGNED SEAGER FOUR YEARS AGO

Always dragging his feet.

The sudden offseason “buzz” about Corey Seager possibly landing in the Bronx this winter would be funny if it weren’t so painfully on brand. Because here’s the part everyone conveniently forgets: the Yankees had a clean, wide-open runway to get Seager four years ago. No smoke. No mirrors. No trade gymnastics. Just money, intent, and a front office willing to act. Instead, Brian Cashman did what Brian Cashman always does — absolutely nothing.

That inaction handed us Anthony Volpe as the long-term answer at shortstop, a decision that has aged like unrefrigerated milk. In fact, it now belongs in the Yankees Hall of Infamy right next to trading Jay Buhner for spare parts. Different era, same regret, same front office DNA. Stupid.

Now we’re supposed to believe the Yankees are calling the Rangers to see if Corey Seager might be available? Calling. Not acquiring. Not prying loose. Calling. Is Cashman dumb? Because those appear to be the two remaining options. This is what desperation looks like when it’s four years late and wearing a suit.

Sure, an upgrade over Volpe in 2026 would be a lovely gift. A miracle, even. But Seager isn’t that gift. He’s a locked door the Yankees don’t have the keys to — and never bothered to copy when the locksmith was standing right in front of them.

Yanks Go Yard summed it up perfectly, noting:

“Even if Brian Cashman and Co. were going all-in on Seager right now, it sounds like the Yankees would be running into a rock-solid barrier in the form of Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young. ‘We are not shopping Corey Seager, I want to make that very clear,’ Young said.”

Alrighty then. Message received. Translation: You had your chance. You blew it. Stop calling.

So let’s recap what we know. The Rangers aren’t moving Seager. Cashman is suddenly desperate to upgrade shortstop. He should have signed Seager four years ago. And the Yankees continue to operate with the least aggressive front office imaginable in a sport where aggression is mandatory if you want to win. They never jump when elite players are available — only after those players turn into franchise cornerstones somewhere else. Then comes the regret tour.

But hey, don’t panic — we got Miguel Palma, right?

Here’s the one sliver of actual good news, though, if you’re counting down the days until the Volpe era mercifully ends. According to Randy Miller of NJ.com:

“(Volpe) may only have one more season to keep his job long-term because George Lombard Jr., the organization’s No. 1 prospect, is a shortstop who figures to reach Triple-A at some point next season after playing for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset in 2025.”

Thank God. Because let’s stop pretending this season was about a sore shoulder. I don’t buy that for a second. What we saw was the collapse of hype meeting reality. Volpe wasn’t injured in my opinion — he was exposed. And now the Yankees are doing what they always do after a catastrophic decision: rewriting the narrative to avoid admitting they screwed it up.

Brian Cashman isn’t unlucky. He’s stale. He’s complacent. And in a league where the Yankees need to be ruthless, fearless, and aggressive to matter again, he’s still operating like it’s 2009 and patience is a strategy. It isn’t. It’s just another excuse — four years too late.

TRADE JAZZ, VOLPE TO SECOND & GO GET BO!

 I know exactly what I’d do.

Yes, it would be messy—because the Yankees and Aaron Boone are physically incapable of letting go of their prized possession, Anthony Volpe. But in the spirit of compromise, and fully acknowledging that José Caballero would be holding the fort until Volpe returns from surgery and eventually remembers how to play the infield, let me float an idea that sounds insane… yet somehow still protects Boone’s emotional attachment to Volpe.

And yes—it starts with moving Jazz Chisholm.

Brian Cashman recently said the Yankees are “open-minded” when it comes to trading Jazz in order to improve the pitching staff. Open-minded. That’s Cashman-speak for “we’re thinking about it, but only if it doesn’t make us uncomfortable.”

Cashman went on to praise Jazz as part of the solution: athletic, above average, an All-Star second baseman, great defender, power, speed, steals bags, all that good stuff. And you know what? He’s right. Jazz has been a good get.

But here’s where I differ: if you can flip Jazz to land a legitimate starting pitcher, you do it. Period. The Yankees desperately need rotation help, and this roster doesn’t move forward unless someone with real value is sacrificed.

Now, before everyone hyperventilates—yes, that leaves a hole at second base. And that’s where our favorite untouchable comes in.

Anthony Volpe to second base. Relax. Breathe. Boone can still tuck him in at night. I don't want this, but I'm trying to keep Boone happy. He still gets to keep his boy toy.

Look, Volpe isn’t a shortstop. We’ve seen enough. He struggles with the throws, the reads, the footwork, and the moment. Second base simplifies the job. Shorter throws, less pressure, fewer chances to remind us why this experiment keeps failing. Frankly, he probably throws better from second than he does from short.

And the bonus? The Yankees still get to market him. The commercials live on. The branding machine keeps humming. I’m compromising here. Truly. But that still leaves the biggest issue: who the hell plays shortstop?

If the Yankees are serious—actually serious—this is where you go big. You don’t plug the hole with duct tape and hope for the best. You land a real shortstop. A tough one. A proven one.

You get Bo Bichette.

Bo Bichette would be a massive offensive upgrade for this lineup. He’s elite at putting the bat on the ball—something the Yankees treat like a forbidden art form. A career .294 hitter who hit .311 in 2025, led the league in hits twice, and lives on base. He’s the exact opposite of the Yankees’ feast-or-famine philosophy.

Put him next to Aaron Judge and suddenly pitchers can’t just nibble and pray. Bichette balances the lineup, grinds at-bats, and brings an edge this team sorely lacks.

And Volpe? Bat him ninth. Let him be the ceremonial leadoff hitter for the second inning. He can still be the face of Charles Tyrwhitt, still hit .214, and still exist—just no longer in the way of the Yankees trying to win baseball games.

And if Volpe stinks it up at second base? Congratulations—we already have José Caballero, a legitimate utility weapon, ready to step in and actually do useful things.

Will the Yankees ever do this? Of course not. It requires creativity, courage, and a willingness to upset the comfort level of the front office. Three things this organization avoids like the plague.

But should they do it? Absolutely.

Because right now, this offseason has been pathetic. There’s no momentum. No imagination. No sense that the Yankees are a forward-thinking, ruthless, championship-driven franchise.

Moves like this create excitement. They signal intent. They tell fans you’re done spinning your wheels.

Will it happen? No. The Yankees don’t have the stomach for it. But they should. And maybe—just maybe—if enough people start saying it out loud, someone with a spine will eventually listen.

Let’s see what happens.

GREAT LEFTY OPTION OUT THERE FOR THE YANKEES PEN!

If the Yankees are serious about pretending 2026 won’t be another season of crossed fingers and press-conference spin, then here’s a wild concept: they might want an actual left-handed reliever in the bullpen. A real one. Not a “we like his underlying metrics” guy. Not a “he can give us multiple innings if the vibes are right” experiment. An actual late-inning, get-lefties-out, make-your-life-miserable southpaw.

Because right now? That cupboard is bare.

Mark Leiter Jr. is gone. Luke Weaver is a free agent. Ryan Yarbrough—bless him—is more of a bulk-innings safety net than a guy you trust when the season is on the line. And Tim Hill and Jayvien Sandridge? That’s not a playoff plan. That’s filler. That’s what you talk yourself into when you’ve done absolutely nothing meaningful to improve a roster and need to convince fans that standing still is actually “being patient.”

Which brings us to a name that’s floating around and, shockingly, makes actual sense: JoJo Romero.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals’ left-hander is drawing interest, and yes—this is the rare rumor that doesn’t immediately make you roll your eyes. Romero checks boxes the Yankees desperately need checked. He’s not theoretical. He’s not a reclamation project. He’s a proven reliever with a nasty slider, a heavy sinker, real command, and an annoying habit of producing ground balls instead of heart attacks.

In 2025, Romero was legitimately good—2.07 ERA, 8 saves, and consistent late-inning effectiveness before some injury concerns popped up toward the end of the year. That’s not perfect, but it’s a lot closer to “reliable bullpen piece” than whatever Cashman has been trying to pass off lately.

Financially? Also reasonable. Romero is projected to make around $4.4 million in his final year of arbitration. That’s not a budget-buster. That’s not some luxury-tax nightmare. That’s the cost of doing business if you actually care about winning baseball games. And with St. Louis widely expected to hit the reset button and reshuffle their roster, there’s very little reason for them to cling to a reliever who isn’t part of their next competitive window.

Meanwhile, back in the Bronx, Brian Cashman has done precisely nothing significant to make the 2026 Yankees better. No bold moves. No statement additions. Just the same old waiting, posturing, and hoping fans confuse inactivity with intelligence. The bullpen, once a strength, is now riddled with question marks—and somehow the front office seems comfortable with that.

Adding Romero wouldn’t fix everything. Let’s not pretend one lefty reliever suddenly turns this team into a juggernaut. But it would be a smart, logical move that addresses a very real problem with an actual solution. Which, of course, is why it feels slightly dangerous to get your hopes up.

Still, if Cashman manages to pull this off, it would finally look like the Yankees are trying to improve the roster instead of just explaining why they didn’t.

Low bar? Absolutely. But at this point, we’re just asking for competence. The Yankees front office sucks!

Stay tuned.

WOAH! THERE'S A MICHAEL KING BIDDING WAR HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

It's almost Christmas and one team is about to get an early present. Michael King is ready to return to the AL East, now we just wait and see who he pitches for.

According to SI.com HERE, the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox and the Yankees are all finalists in the Michael King sweepstakes. I really don't know how I feel about the idea of King coming back. I guess I am indifferent compared to Casey who wrote I REALLY HOPE A MICHAEL KING REUNION IS NOT IN THE CARDS. I have nothing against King, I guess I just am not itching for a reunion. I am looking for new shiny options.

On the other hand though....the Yankees NEED options. Both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon are going to miss time at the beginning of the season and let's face it you can never have enough pitching. This is true for ANY team but especially the Yankees who seem to have the most untimely injuries partnered with a very ineffective training and medical staff that exasperate everything.

King is very familiar with the Yankees so there's one plus to consider in all of this. We know some guys just can't handle the bright lights and expectations here and that is not a concern here. Also, it would take some of the pressure off Luis Gil and Cam Schlittler who could slide down in the rotation. It would also allow the Yankees to use Will Warren in more of a swingman role. There's some strategy here that could work.

As far as our other AL East rivals, this could get interesting. The Orioles are on a quest to find strong pitching after upgrading its offense with the Pete Alonso signing. King would instantly be the strongest arm in their rotation and would make the Orioles a stronger team in 2026 then they were this season. Boston on the other hand is a bit of a head scratcher. Right now, their rotation is full especially after adding Sonny Gray.

If the Red Sox do sign King, it could be part of a strategy used to then trade some of their up and coming arms for an impact bat similar to what the Orioles just did. Adding the impact bat also makes the Red Sox a stronger team which could make the battle for the AL East that much tougher. Last year it was a race between the Blue Jays and us but now this could become even more difficult on the Yankees. 

So now we wait and see what happens. Does King reunite with the Yankees or do the Red Sox have a shot at snagging the guy that grew up in Rhode Island and went to Boston college? It's not something I was interested in. Now that I see how it can change the landscape in the AL East....I'm paying attention.

Do you want King back? Comment and tell us what's on your mind.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj