What Yankees GM Brian Cashman is Telling Us — Without Saying It

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman might be playing a quiet offseason strategically.

Aug 23, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with the media before the game between the Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The biggest criticism of the New York Yankees 2025-2026 offseason is a simple one: they're just running it back with the same group of players from last year.

While that may be feeling true right now, it seems like general manager Brian Cashman could be telling fans to wait for an explosive trade deadline, as opposed to an overactive offseason. Instead of trying to anticipate what could go wrong, Cashman is likely to continue a trend of addressing real, immediate needs on the trade market.

The Yankees were in quite a similar situation last season. They had a big hole at third base on Opening Day that they tried to fill by moving around DJ LeMahieu and Jazz Chisholm Jr., both of whom are more accustomed to playing second.

Feb 16, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees infielder Anthony Volpe (11) and infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (13) take a break during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The strategy didn't work out and ended with a huge fracturing between LeMahieu and the team when Chisholm was moved back to the second base starter position. When he refused to be a bench player, the Yankees designated LeMahieu for assignment and started to pursue third basemen on the trade market. They eventually landed Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, who has been the Pinstripes' go-to ever since.

While McMahon isn't necessarily the best hitter in the world, he absolutely solved the Yankees' immediate need for a solid defender. Certainly, the Yankees could have added an upgrade offensively in the offseason, but chose to re-sign Cody Bellinger for the outfield and trade for Ryan Weathers to patch an injury hole in the starting rotation.

Quiet Yankees Offseason Forshadows Big Trade Deadline?

It seems the Yankees are going for much the same strategy in 2026. A relatively quiet offseason with one or two splashy moves, followed by a much more active trade deadline to account for needs that arise as the year goes on. That might not be Cashman's intention, but there's pretty much zero guarantee that nothing comes up before August, and at that time the Yankees are almost guaranteed to be buyers.

This isn't to say the Yankees will have the same needs this year. McMahon is still the go-to, but other problems could pop up. What fans view as inaction has the potential to be a difference-making strategy when it really counts: after games are played and teams can make a proper assessment. No team is guaranteed to stay healthy or have all players perform their best through all 162 games, so fans might be in for a treat before August.

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