Brian Cashman Defends Yankees Roster

The biggest critique of the New York Yankees heading into the 2026 season is that they are essentially the same team. Fans say they are "running it back," and without many moves after the big Cody Bellinger signing, the sentiment remains.

One person who has taken umbrage at the fact that the team is the same is the architect of it. According to General Manager Brian Cashman, he really likes his ball club and offered a lengthy defense of it.

"First, we have really good players, a collection of really talented players. It's not the same roster. I would differ there. We have some players, at some point, returning from the IL that are important players," Cashman said, according to Gary Phillips of the Daily News on X.

Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) rounds third base after hitting a three-run home run in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Cashman then got into who some of the new additions would be. Granted, the big one is an old face, but an ace whose presence was missed in 2025.

"Gerrit Cole being one of them," Cashman continued. "But we had some additions from the second half that got their feet wet with the Yankees, some with failures or success. But they'll now be in a position to join us with their feet on the ground and getting their sea legs under them -- with a manager, too, learning how to utilize these guys, where they slot and everything else."

Strengths and Weaknesses are the Same

In 2025, the Yankees won 94 games. It could have been worse with the number of games the bullpen blew or the lackadaisical defensive efforts we saw at shortstop for most of the year. Between the two, if the bullpen were a little better or the defense were tighter, they could have easily won the division or even touched 100 wins.

The issue, though, is that the pen is largely the same, and as far as infield defense goes, Anthony Volpe will ultimately get his job back from Jose Caballero. They could just as easily be one of the best offenses in the sport again, but it's those weaknesses that just haven't been ironed out this winter, and it doesn't look like they will be.

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