THIS YANKEES STARTING ROTATION IS HARDLY CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER

Here’s the thing—and it’s not exactly a hot take—it’s getting harder and harder to read about the Yankees’ rotation without grinding your teeth a little.

The deeper you go, the more it feels like this staff is being held together with duct tape, crossed fingers, and whatever’s left in the trainer’s room. Opening Day isn’t creeping up anymore—it’s basically here—and the rotation still feels like a group project where nobody did their part until the night before.

The latest comes via Bryan Hoch, who laid out a few end-of-spring storylines. One of the more telling ones: Cam Schlittler had a minor setback that slowed his buildup. Translation? He might be sitting around 70 pitches when the season starts. The workaround is a piggyback situation—which is a polite baseball way of saying, “we’ll figure it out as we go.” The Yankees can get away with it early since they don’t need a fifth starter immediately, but that’s more scheduling luck than actual planning.

And sure, you might also see names like Carlos Lagrange and Kervin Castro floating into the picture. Which is fine… if you’re talking about mid-July depth. Not ideal when it’s March and you’re already flipping through the emergency contacts list.

But the bigger issue is what’s happening—or not happening—with Carlos Rodón.

According to Chris Kirschner, manager Aaron Boone isn’t even sure Rodón will pitch in a spring training game before the regular season. Let that sink in. We’re talking about a frontline starter.

Rodón will throw another live BP, and Boone says he expects him back “at some point in April.” At some point? We knew he was coming back from injury, but give me some specifics please!

And that’s really the tone here. There’s a noticeable lack of urgency. Boone doesn’t come across like a manager trying to piece together a contender—he looks like someone hoping the problem sorts itself out if he just doesn’t poke it too hard.

So, what does this rotation actually look like right now?

Max Fried is the guy. He was brought in to stabilize things, and to his credit, he’s healthy and ready. No complaints there. He’s your Opening Day starter, and frankly, he has to be more than that—he has to be the adult in the room.

Luis Gil was supposed to be a key piece, but his spring has been rough. The velocity is there, but the results aren’t. Giving up seven runs in three innings isn’t a “shake the rust off” outing—it’s a red flag. At this point, you’re hearing whispers about the minors or the bullpen, which is not what you want for someone penciled into your top three.

Will Warren is stepping in and now he’s expected to carry meaningful innings right away. That’s a lot to ask from a young arm, especially when “depth piece” suddenly becomes “please save us.”

Schlittler, as mentioned, is on a pitch count. Ryan Weathers is slotted into the back end to provide “stability,” which is usually code for “just give us four innings and don’t set anything on fire.”

And then there’s the injured list, which reads like a who’s-who of who you actually wanted to rely on.

Gerrit Cole is working back from Tommy John and might return in May or June. Rodón is aiming for late April, maybe. Clarke Schmidt is even further out and might not even come back as a starter.

So yes—needless to say—this is not a championship rotation. Not at all.

Could it become one? Maybe, if everything breaks perfectly. But “everything going right” is not a strategy—it’s a wish.

And right now, this whole situation feels less like a plan and more like a hope that April doesn’t ask too many tough questions.

THREE STARTERS ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH

All offseason I kept saying the same thing. Actually, scratch that—I said it last season too. The Yankees needed one more legit starting pitcher to sit next to Max Fried. Just one. Then when Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole come back, suddenly the rotation looks nasty. Add Cam Schlittler into the mix and you’ve got the makings of something serious.

But nobody wanted to hear it.

Instead, the Yankees went out and traded for Ryan Weathers, wrapped the move in a nice little bow, and Yankee social media tried to sell it like they’d just discovered the next ace hiding in a clearance bin. On top of that, everyone just assumed Luis Gil would magically snap back into Rookie of the Year form, like there’s some kind of “reset to dominance” button you press every March.

Fast forward to now—just weeks from Opening Day—and the Yankees rotation looks… shaky. And honestly, that’s not fair to Max Fried. The guy can only carry so much of the load.

Sure, Will Warren is opening some eyes this spring, and Cam Schlittler looks promising. But let’s be real for a second: promising isn’t the same thing as ready. And right now, ready is exactly what the Yankees need.

Fans love to point to the eventual returns of Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole, and yes, that will help. But the team actually has to stay afloat until they get there. If two of your five starters are consistently struggling before those guys return, things can spiral quickly.

Even Sports Illustrated writer Jordon Lawrenz is sounding the alarm with a wrote that “Three Quality Starters Isn’t Good Enough.” Funny… that sounds awfully familiar. Oh right—I’ve been saying that exact thing right here at Bleeding Yankee Blue.

Lawrenz points out that the Yankees know they have prospects like Carlos Lagrange waiting in the wings, but it’s way too early to start calling those names over Gil and Weathers. Early spring struggles happen, sure—but when it’s multiple starters, that’s when the concern meter starts flashing.

But this is the Yankees’ pattern. They don’t act before problems happen. They wait until the problem is staring them in the face… and then they react.

Let’s call it what it is: Ryan Weathers was never the answer. It was a questionable move from the start. And simply waiting around for Cole and Rodón to return is basically handing wins to your opponents and hoping you can play catch-up later.

If the Yankees want to be contenders—hell, if they want to talk about being 2026 World Series champions—the front office needs to get its act together.

But will they? Probably not.

And hey, why would they listen to me over here at Bleeding Yankee Blue?

I only called it months ago. Losers.

I'M NOT BUYING RYAN WEATHERS

Remember what I said about Ryan Weathers? Yeah… I meant it. Spring Training or not, I never bought the hype around this kid and I’m still not buying it now. At some point the New York Yankees have to stop running these little “development experiments” like they’re a science fair project gone wrong. We already sat through the Anthony Volpe Experience and the Austin Wells Adventure. Both of those have been… let’s call it “educational.” We really don’t need another lesson.

Today didn’t exactly inspire confidence either. Weathers got tagged early in a 7–6 loss to the Atlanta Braves, and that first inning was basically a disaster movie. Four runs crossed the plate before anyone could finish their coffee. When it was over, the left-hander had allowed four earned runs on seven hits across 3.2 innings.

Not exactly the kind of outing that makes fans jump up and scream, “Yes! This is the guy!”

But if you listen closely to the spin machine coming out of the New York Yankees front office, they’ll tell you the real story is that Weathers hit 100 mph on the radar gun. And sure, that’s nice. Radar guns are fun. Fireworks are also fun. Neither of those things necessarily mean the pitcher actually got anyone out.

Velocity is great, but you know what’s even better? Not giving up four runs before the stadium hot dogs are warm.

The reality is that Weathers already had an uphill climb with the fan base. The Yankees paid a steep prospect price to bring him in, he’s had a laundry list of injury concerns over the years, and now his spring performances have been… let’s politely call them “uneven.” That’s not exactly the recipe for instant Bronx love.

Right now, he’s penciled into the rotation mostly because the Yankees are waiting for the cavalry to return. Until Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón get healthy and back from the injured list, Weathers is basically serving as a placeholder. A bridge. A temporary patch on the tire while the real engine is in the shop.

And honestly? That’s exactly what he looks like.

Maybe he figures it out. Maybe the velocity turns into results. Baseball has surprised us before.

But if we’re still hearing in June about how “encouraging” it is that Ryan Weathers can touch 100 while the scoreboard lights up like Times Square, I’m done. At that point I might just start rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates out of sheer emotional self-defense.

Because even the most loyal Yankees fan has a breaking point. And the Bronx “pitching lab” might be getting dangerously close to mine.

I know, ya'll hate my negativity. I get it, but I'm not wrong.  

ARE THE YANKEES LYING ABOUT CAM SCHLITTLER'S INJURY?

I'm trying not to think the worst here, but we are talking about the Yankees here. Something doesn't feel right about Cam Schlittler's ailment. First, it was minor back inflammation but now there's also lat discomfort. I have alarm bells going off....and I REALLY want my skepticism to be wrong.

The Yankees have a horrible track record when it comes to diagnosing and treating injuries, Aaron Judge with his fractured rib and partially collapsed lung always be the example that sticks out for me. The Yankees say they aren't worried about Schlittler, read more HERE but Aaron Boone gives his words of encouragement which only makes it worse for me.

"I expect him to be good (for the start of the season) now," Boone said. "I don't think he'll be at 80-90 pitches yet, but short of that....I think he'll two ups, 30-something (pitches) in four days and then fall into his five days. And then that next one will probably be in the game, three (innings) and 40 (pitches) or whatever."

That sounds like a load of Baboonie crap to me because it's very unconvincing. Lat discomfort is tough, and it is very rarely minor. I'm thinking back to Luis Severino back in 2019 and 2023, that was a big blow. What about Clarke Schmidt? He missed time from May to September 2024 with a partial tear. These injuries are not ones you bounce back quickly from. They are very slow to heal and if you try to rush back before they properly heal setbacks are common, especially if players don't understand the cause of that injury and don't make adjustments. This is what concerns me the most.

Last year was a heavy workload for a rookie that throws hard. I love that he can throw a fastball up to 98 mph and it fooled a lot of batters last year. While he was wowing all of us on the mound, he also pitched himself to a career high of 146 innings pitched between the big league stage and down in the minors. That's a lot for a hard throwing rookie pitcher. It's also hard if he didn't rest it enough over the winter. Call it a rookie mistake.

But it could be a costly rookie mistake. I don't know if the Yankees have done enough testing on this. Even if they have....could they honestly identify any bigger problems like a tear? Our medical staff is a joke. The Yankees already have enough to deal with pitching wise. We are already starting the season without Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole, we can't afford to lose anymore pitching.

It's early in spring....but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to be following this storyline like a hawk. I just hope the Yankees aren't lying to us.

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

JUST WHO DOES BRIAN CASHMAN THINK HE IS KIDDING?

The Yankees have been dreaming of a rematch with the Dodgers at the World Series. Brian Cashman thinks running the same team back on the field this season is gonna get the job done. Now he is trying to gaslight all of us into thinking the Yankees are gonna be better than they were last season....

And no one sane believes that. Great, the band is back together once Gerrit Cole returns. The magic will be back and suddenly everything is supposed to change. Oh and having a full season of Cam Schlittler is a big upgrade IF he can stay healthy and productive but Cashman is all in on this team. He's as stupid and delusional as ever and wants us to join him in delusion land. "We all understand in the postseason, you've got to bring your best baseball every series and if you don't, you're going home. It doesn't mean we weren't capable of great things. We just didn't get the job done in that time frame against the Toronto Blue Jays," Cashman said HERE.

And naturally Aaron Boone is his parrot and feels the same way. "At the end of last year, in so many ways, it's as good as I felt about our team heading into the postseason in the years I've been here," Boone said. "Obviously, we got beat up in the division round. It didn't go our way. That doesn't mean it's not gonna go our way the next time. We think we’re really good. That doesn’t mean we’re gonna win 94 games again. It doesn't mean we're gonna win 88. But we think we have the pieces." 

Obviously both of these bozos believe we are so good we didn't need to make any improvements. We can just run the same team back out there and do it all again but win this time. Never mind that the rest of the division has made improvements and is stronger on paper. We can stay the same and maybe win 94 games again....or not. I'm leaning towards not because the left side of the infield is a disaster and Anthony Volpe is such a lost cause, but the Yankees will continue to foolishly stand behind him. The Yankees was us to believe he is the right piece? NOT EVEN CLOSE!

We are two weeks away from Spring training and Fangraphs have already made their predictions for this season and they disagree with the Yankees strategy, read more HERE. Not only do they think the Yankees are a LONGSHOT to win the division at 18.9%, but they only have a 41.1% chance at winning one of three wildcard spots. Hell, they even predict the Yankees to finish in FOURTH one game behind the Orioles. It hurts to read but I can't say I disagree.

I want to see this team get back to the World Series and win but we couldn't beat the Blue Jays last season. They owned us in the regular season so losing to them in the postseason wasn't a surprise to anyone with a brain....so of course that excludes Cashman and Baboonie. The Blue Jays have made improvements over the winter, so unless they regress A LOT and the Red Sox and Orioles massively underperform Yankee fans should be ready for a long and frustrating season.

These clowns need to stop gaslighting us. I'm sick of it!

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj

CASHMAN CAN'T WALK & CHEW GUM AT THE SAME TIME

It’s honestly astounding how aggressively unaggressive the Yankees’ front office has become. Once upon a time, this franchise hunted stars. Now, under the ever-comfortable watch of Brian Cashman and his circle of yes-men, they spent an entire offseason dumpster-diving for minor leaguers while dragging their feet on the one obvious move that mattered: getting Cody Bellinger back.

To be fair—credit where it’s due—they finally landed their big fish, and the news broke yesterday. Great. Applause. But here’s the problem: it never should have taken this long. The foot-dragging, the posturing, the “we’re totally fine as-is” routine—it all reeks of either penny-pinching or paralysis. Either the Yankees don’t want to spend money anymore, or Cashman has reached the stage of his career where multitasking is considered a hostile work environment. Neither option is comforting.

And while the Yankees sit on their hands, pitchers continue to come off the board. The latest? Freddy Peralta—now a New York Met. Let me be clear: I wasn’t pounding the table for Peralta. If anything, it felt like a potential Devin Williams 2.0 situation. I was cautious. Skeptical. But you know what was appealing? The idea that the Yankees might actually try to improve their team. That illusion, of course, vanished right on schedule.

Peralta is gone. The Mets acted. The Yankees watched. Again.

So now we’re left staring at a projected Opening Day rotation of Max Fried, Will Warren, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler, and newly acquired Ryan Weathers. Intimidating? Only if you’re afraid of mediocrity. There’s no question the absence of another frontline starter will eventually grind Fried down and overwhelm rookie Schlittler. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón remain shelved, and pretending otherwise is organizational malpractice. A power arm early in the season isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity. The fact that this seems invisible in Yankeeland is borderline deranged.

Even Yankees insiders see the problem. Over at Yankees on SI, Mitchell Cocoran laid out the dwindling options—many of which have already been discussed on Bleeding Yankee Blue. He’s right to bring them up though. As Cocoran wrote:

“Luckily for the Yankees, there are still options, but they are becoming few and far between.”

Cocoran suggests that one idea gaining traction is a trade for Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore, coming off a 2025 All-Star campaign with a 3.0 WAR, 185 strikeouts, and a 4.17 ERA. Another name floating around? Tarik Skubal—though even there, the Dodgers are reportedly lurking, because of course they are. According to Buster Olney, L.A. remains firmly in the mix.

And that’s the most disturbing part of all: the Yankees can no longer outmuscle—or even outmaneuver—the monster franchises. The Dodgers act. The Mets act. The Yankees issue statements.

This is the new Yankees brand: cheap, complacent, and painfully disengaged. Cashman responds to every question with a word salad about timing, fit, and how “trades are complicated.” No kidding. That’s the job. And right now, the job is screaming for a starting pitcher.

They needed one at the start of the offseason. They still need one now. Without Cole and Rodón, the pressure on Fried, Schlittler, and the rest of this thin rotation is enormous. One more power arm could be the difference between a playoff run and another October disappointment—maybe even the difference between a title and another wasted season.

Without it? This team will fall behind early. And if this is truly the plan, I’ll say it plainly: the Yankees will not win in 2026.

Sometimes common sense has to enter the room. Right now, it hasn’t. Cashman looks slow, detached, and completely unwilling to adapt. And honestly? I can’t stand it anymore.

THE END OF WHAT MY NEW YORK YANKEES USED TO REPRESENT

Call it dramatic if you want, but this Yankees franchise is no longer living large. The New York Yankees, the supposed gold standard of professional sports, are operating in something that looks a whole lot like survival mode. And I say that as someone who has bled Yankee blue for decades. I have lived through bad teams, weird teams, transition teams, and aging-dynasty teams. What I have never lived through is an offseason quite like this one: timid, directionless, and drenched in alligator arms.

This isn’t patience, gang. This isn’t strategy. This isn’t some grand chess match where Brian Cashman is secretly five moves ahead of the rest of baseball. This is an organization sitting on its hands, congratulating itself for not spending money, while the rest of the league treats urgency like oxygen.

And yet, somehow, we the fans are supposed to be scolded for being angry.

Enter Michael Kay, stage left, wagging his finger at the fanbase like a disappointed substitute teacher. Kay can whine, lecture, and condescend all he wants, but the reality is painfully obvious: his commentary has drifted so far from the lived reality of Yankees fans that it’s become unrecognizable. Let’s not play dumb here. Michael Kay is paid handsomely through the YES Network, the Yankees’ own broadcast arm. That paycheck clears because the organization signs it, not because fans clap politely when the team sleepwalks through an offseason. When Kay lashes out at us fans, it’s not analysis. It’s insulation. His wallet is doing the talking.

And here’s the thing he seems to have forgotten the moment he handed in his fan card: fans are allowed to be mad. In fact, being mad is often the most honest form of fandom. We invest time, money, emotion, and generational loyalty. Anger isn’t betrayal. Apathy is.

The Yankees lost last year. Not “just short.” Not “one bounce away.” They lost. Which means the assignment this offseason was painfully clear: improve the team in a meaningful way. Add impact. Add stars. Add players who scare opposing teams in October.

Instead, here’s the receipt:

Ryan Weathers, acquired for four prospects to “bolster depth.”

Kaleb Ort, claimed off waivers.

Paul DeJong, minor league deal.

Sebastian Pinto, minor league deal.

Trent Grisham, qualifying offer accepted.

Amed Rosario, one-year versatility play.

Paul Blackburn, re-signed.

Ryan Yarbrough, re-signed.

Nick Torres, minor league deal.

Tim Hill, re-signed.

That’s not a championship plan. That’s a clearance rack with pinstripes on it.

Not one All-Star caliber stud. Not one needle-mover. Not one player who walks into a postseason series and forces the other dugout to change its strategy. This is a collection of depth pieces being sold as vision.

Meanwhile, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón won’t be ready for Opening Day. The shortstop we’re told is “elite” won’t even sniff the field until summer. The catcher who was hyped as the next great stopper hasn’t stopped much of anything and only batting .214. 

And hovering over all of it is Aaron Judge, a generational superstar wasting prime years on a roster that refuses to meet him halfway. Every season that passes without serious reinforcement is another year of malpractice. Judge will retire one day never seeing a championship if this front office continues to lead blind.

The front office’s greatest blind spot remains the same: baseball is played by humans, not spreadsheets. Chemistry matters. Urgency matters. Accountability matters. You can’t model heart, confidence, or fearlessness in a back-office algorithm, no matter how pretty the Excel file looks.

And where is ownership in all of this? Where is Hal Steinbrenner? Where is Randy Levine? Once upon a time, the people at the top didn’t hide when the Yankees underachieved. Now they’re silent, distant, and seemingly detached from the product on the field. Cashman tells us long-term contracts limit flexibility. Steinbrenner promises aggression without recklessness. Fine words. Empty results again.

The Yankees print money. Roughly $700 million a year in revenue. That’s not a small-market excuse. That’s a financial juggernaut choosing restraint while fans are told to be grateful for prudence. There is zero justification for this level of inactivity. None.

Fans have every right to be furious. We pay for season tickets, parking, concessions, jerseys, streaming packages, and cable networks. We show up 162 times a year emotionally, even when the team doesn’t. Wanting a championship isn’t entitlement. It’s the standard this franchise taught us to expect.

And if nothing changes by spring, if Aaron Boone is still wandering the dugout without consequence, if 2026 is once again sold as “trust the process,” then yes, fans should consider drastic responses. Boycotts. Walkaways. Silence where noise used to be. Because loyalty without accountability is just being taken advantage of.

For the first time in my life, I’ve even questioned my own fandom. I’ve thought about walking away for a season. I’ve thought about shutting down Bleeding Yankee Blue, a blog that’s been alive since 2010, because the frustration has curdled into something worse: sadness. This front office doesn’t seem to understand what fans want, or worse, doesn’t care.

It has been a championship drought since 2009 despite sky-high payrolls. Analysts and former players alike have called out unbalanced rosters, outdated thinking, and a fixation on bargain-bin signings. Too many DH-types. No first-base stability. A power-or-nothing approach that collapses under pressure. No urgency. No consequences. No fear of failure.

That’s on Brian Cashman. That’s on Aaron Boone, who would rather be liked than respected. And it’s on voices like Michael Kay, who should be holding this organization’s feet to the fire instead of blaming fans for noticing the smoke. You're pathetic Kay. Shame on you.

Don’t tell us how to root. Don’t insult our intelligence. And don’t pretend this is fine.

This used to be the New York Yankees. Now it feels like a brand slowly being run into the ground by people who confuse comfort with competence. At this point, why not bring Frankie Montas back and call it a day?

Sad.

AN UNSERIOUS FRANCHISE WITH A WHOLE LOT OF NOTHING

It’s honestly wild watching the Yankee sports-writer industrial complex finally arrive at a place some of us have been yelling about since October. Welcome. I saved you a seat.

See, I don’t just think about right now. I think about what now does to later. Every move — or non-move — has a ripple effect. Do something today, you shape tomorrow. Do nothing today, and tomorrow shows up angry, impatient, and holding receipts. Doing nothing and assuming it’ll all magically work out is basically rolling dice in a casino and calling it “strategy.” Baseball offseasons are not supposed to be games of chance. They’re supposed to be statements of intent.

And right now, the Yankees are making a statement — just not the one you want. This is no longer a serious franchise. It’s not a bold one. It’s barely a competitive one.

You can listen to what Michael Kay chirped last week — that the Yankees’ offseason is totally fine because the players who signed elsewhere “weren’t guys they wanted anyway.” That’s the line that makes my blood boil. Why weren’t they wanted? Why is upgrading the roster suddenly optional? Why is ambition treated like a luxury item? By the way Kay, the Yankees aren't better because of that decision.  Ridiculous. Your time is up.

The most baffling move of all was extending a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham — the same Trent Grisham the Yankees practically tried to smuggle off the roster the year before. Sure, last season worked out better than expected. Fine. Golf clap. But there are better players available. And while I admire taking a calculated risk once in a while, this entire offseason has been one long shrug.

Because let’s be clear about what this team actually needs: pitching. A long-term deal for Cody Bellinger. And — say it louder — a new shortstop who can field and hit. That’s not greedy. That’s basic roster construction.

Instead, the Yankees appear content marching into the season with Max Fried, Luis Gil, Will Warren, and Cam Schlittler, fingers crossed like it’s a middle school science fair. They’re assuming Cam will be stellar again. They’re assuming Gerrit Cole comes back and immediately turns into Cy Young Gerrit Cole. They’re assuming Carlos Rodón — fresh off injury — suddenly becomes reliable regularly.

And Rodón, especially, is the ultimate mystery box. Sometimes you get dominance. Sometimes you get five runs in the second inning and a thousand-yard stare. Now he’s coming off an injury, and I’m supposed to believe this is the moment everything clicks? Based on what — vibes?

That’s how we will end up in early June in 2026, sitting in third place, with the same cast as last year and a bullpen of minor leaguers Brian Cashman can shuffle in like spare parts. Do you see the pattern yet? Because I’ve been screaming about it for months, and now — finally — everyone else is catching up.

Even Empire Sports Media, whom I respect, spelled it out plainly:

“The harsh reality of medical science and aging curves suggests the Yankees might be setting themselves up for a significant disappointment. While Cole’s work ethic is legendary, physiology is undefeated, and expecting a 35-year-old pitcher to immediately recapture Cy Young form after reconstructive elbow surgery is not just optimistic—it is dangerous.”

Exactly. One thousand percent correct.

The Yankees treat players like machines. They hoard data, worship spreadsheets, and completely ignore the human element — the soreness, the recovery, the mental grind of coming back from injury. A spreadsheet doesn’t tell you how Gerrit Cole feels when he wakes up. It doesn’t tell you what his elbow says in April. And the truth is uncomfortable, but unavoidable: we don’t know if Cole ever returns to Cy Young form. Pretending otherwise is reckless.

AIBat put it bluntly too:

“The pressure is on the Yankees management to find solutions that strengthen the team… With the start of the season drawing closer, time is of the essence.”

Yes, it’s obvious. And yes, it still apparently needs to be said. The Yankees haven’t made a splash this offseason. They haven’t even made a puddle. It’s embarrassing.

Brian Cashman talked about being “aggressive.” That was a lie. Full stop. And while I genuinely like some of the players on this roster, nobody wants a rerun of 2025 — close enough to dream, far enough to fail. Sometimes teams need a shakeup. Sometimes complacency is the real enemy.

Running it back with the same guys invites stagnation. Volpe and Wells look overmatched. Judge is aging in real time. Can we please help this man win a championship before the window slams shut? And Max Fried? He’s stranded on an island, surrounded by question marks and medical reports.

So if this sounds like panic, it’s not. It’s disappointment. Yankee fans aren’t unreasonable — they’re exhausted. They want a team that actually tries to win, not one that hides behind models and probabilities and hopes the humans behave like robots.

This isn’t how you go into 2026.
The Yankees need to be better.
That’s it.

THE BLUE JAYS CONTINUE TO HAVE A COMPETITIVE OFF SEASON

Where's Brian Cashman?

The Blue Jays are out here acting like it’s an actual offseason. The Yankees, meanwhile, are sitting by the phone waiting for Cody Bellinger to “decide,” which is another way of saying they’ve chosen timidity over urgency. This is not an aggressive winter. This is a franchise crouched behind corporate talking points, already rehearsing the press release: “We just couldn’t find a fit, but don’t worry—we really like our team.”

And sure, maybe they do like their team. The problem is fans don't. We want improvement.

The Yankees have not gone hard for impact bats. They haven’t meaningfully upgraded the defense. They haven’t addressed the rotation with any seriousness. And the bullpen? It didn’t just spring a leak—it flat-out evaporated. Whatever sense of stability fans are clinging to is built on vibes and optimism, not roster reality. This team is far shakier than it wants you to believe.

Contrast that with Toronto, who clearly understood the assignment. The Blue Jays swooped in and signed Japanese corner infielder Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60 million deal with roughly 24 hours left in his posting window. No dithering. Just action. That move followed the additions of Dylan Cease and Tyler Rogers, and they’re still actively working to retain Bo Bichette. That’s three real swings taken by a team that decided being competitive wasn’t optional.

Now here’s the obvious thought the Yankees seem allergic to: Bo Bichette should be the target in my opinion.

If the goal is to win baseball games—and not just win press conferences—Bichette makes too much sense to ignore. He’s a superior offensive player, a proven performer under pressure, and a hitter who actually puts the ball in play. The Yankees’ lineup has been dragged for years over strikeouts and empty at-bats, and rightfully so. Bichette’s 14.5% strikeout rate in 2025 and elite contact profile (83rd percentile in whiff rate) would instantly lengthen the lineup and reduce the black holes that currently define it. This is everything Anthony Volpe is not at the plate, and pretending otherwise doesn’t make the math work.

And even if you fix shortstop, the rotation is also still waving red flags. Gerrit Cole missed all of 2025 after Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected back until May or June of 2026—at best. Carlos Rodón required an October procedure to remove loose bodies and a bone spur from his elbow and is likely to miss Opening Day, with a hopeful return sometime in late April or early May. That’s not a foundation. That’s crossed fingers.

Which is why Zac Gallen should be firmly on the Yankees’ radar. Yes, 2025 was a down year. But he’s a former Cy Young finalist with durability, innings, and upside—exactly the kind of buy-low, high-reward arm serious teams pursue. There were legitimate rumors linking him to the Cubs, and if the Yankees sit this one out too, it’ll be another self-inflicted wound. Passing on Gallen would be organizational malpractice disguised as prudence.

And that’s really the point of all this. The Yankees have done nothing to support this roster, nothing to elevate it, and nothing to make Spring Training feel like the start of something dangerous. It’s sad. Especially when you look north of the border and see a team that clearly understands how to compete.

The Blue Jays are proactive. They’re decisive. They’re acting like contention matters.

The Yankees? They’re waiting on Bellinger and calling it a strategy. Playing defense. Hoping nothing goes wrong. That’s not how serious franchises behave.

And right now, serious is the last word anyone should use to describe the New York Yankees.

My opinion of course.

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.

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.

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

DYLAN CEASE JUST MADE THE BLUE JAYS EVEN BETTER

Us Yankee fans? We should be calling the Yankee complaint line on speed dial! 

The Yankees are once again standing around like they’re waiting for a bus that isn’t coming. I’ve been screaming—SCREAMING—for them to upgrade their pitching, because Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón aren’t walking through that door anytime soon unless it’s for an MRI. That leaves poor Max Fried abandoned on a desert island with nothing but a volleyball named Will Warren and Luis Gil as a sidekick.

That’s not a rotation. That’s a cry for help.

And don’t tell me this franchise is “competitive” or “serious.” Competitive teams actually try. Serious teams actually look at the players who can help them win. Meanwhile, Brian Cashman is out here running the Yankees like he’s blindfolded, spinning in circles, and pointing at names on a dartboard.

Because right there — RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM — was Dylan Cease.
A gift. A layup. A flashing, Vegas-sized billboard screaming, “HEY BRIAN, THIS IS A STARTING PITCHER YOU COULD SIGN.”

And what did Cashman do?
Absolutely nothing.
Didn’t even pretend to care.

You know who did open their eyes?
The Toronto Blue Jays — a team that apparently remembers how winning works. They handed Cease a seven-year, $210 million deal, per Jon Heyman, because they actually want to improve. They looked at their already-loaded rotation of Gausman, Berríos, Bieber, and Yesavage and said, “You know what? Let’s make this unfair.”

Cease has a fire, a competitive pulse, an actual starter’s mentality — all the things the Yankees desperately need and Cashman can’t seem to identify unless the guy is 36 years old and coming off Tommy John surgery.

But don’t worry: while Toronto is assembling a pitching Voltron, Cashman is showing off his big offseason move…

Yerry Rodríguez.
Stop the presses.

It’s embarrassing. It’s incompetent. It’s Cashman being Cashman — the GM who manages to walk past every obvious upgrade like he’s shopping with a grocery list he dropped down a sewer grate.

What a joke.

THE RED SOX ARE ALREADY AHEAD OF THE YANKEES THIS OFF SEASON!

The Red Sox have already gone out and upgraded their rotation. The Yankees? We’re over here lighting candles and hoping Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole remember how to throw baseballs in time to help Max Fried. For now, the Yankees’ rotation is basically one ace and two question marks wearing ice packs. And yes—that’s sarcasm.

Why are the Yankees always fashionably late when it comes to addressing their biggest needs? There is zero debate: they need another legit starter behind Fried. There’s no guarantee Cole comes back as Cole, or that Rodón stops pitching like he’s being haunted by 2023. Something has to happen—because the Red Sox already did something.

Boston just pulled off their first real offseason swing, bringing in Sonny Gray from the Cardinals accoding to reports. Now, sure, Yankee fans will roll their eyes and say, “We had Sonny Gray, remember? Dumpster fire.” Fair point—but that was baby Sonny. That was Sonny fresh out of the wrapper, overwhelmed, overcoached, and allergic to throwing what he was actually good at.

This Sonny? He’s older, tougher, smarter, and, frankly, really good. Laugh all you want—Boston filled a need, and they filled it with a guy who knows how to pitch in big moments.

Gray slots in as a rock-solid No. 2 behind Garrett Crochet on a Sox team trying to win right now. They didn’t gut their farm system, they got cash in the deal, and they added a pitcher who posted a 5.29 K/BB ratio last season—fourth-best in MLB—and cleared 180 innings. That’s not “Yankees Sonny Gray.” That’s “You’re-gonna-hate-facing-him Sonny Gray.” Boston made a legitimately smart move.

Meanwhile, the Yankees have Fried… and then a couple of pitchers whose injury updates sound like Yelp reviews. “Getting better… slowly… maybe.” No one knows if Cole or Rodón will be ready for Opening Day.

So right now the rotation looks like:
Fried, Warren, Gil… and a prayer.

Yikes.