Yankees Would Be Making a Grave Mistake by Running It Back in 2027

The New York Yankees chose to "run it back" last winter by largely keeping the 2025 team intact for 2026. This strategy backfired, and the 2025-26 offseason will be retroactively considered one of the worst in Yankees history.

Yet, it seems the Bronx Bombers will not learn from that failed winter. Based on Jack Curry's analysis on "Yankees Hot Stove", New York seems to be sticking to the status quo and relying on internal improvement.

This includes relying on Anthony Volpe, Jose Caballero, and Luis Garcia Jr. at second base, along with relying on Giancarlo Stanton to stay healthy as the everyday DH. There's also the priority of bringing back David Bednar, although this is an example of where "running it back" is necessary because of Bednar's importance to the bullpen.

Granted, Curry mentioned the Yankees aren't fully ready to commit to Spencer Jones in center field and may look for an external option there. But some of Curry's other statements raised some serious red flags.

The biggest was a lack of interest in Teruaki Sato, who is by far the best third baseman available this offseason despite any underlying concerns. Curry also noted that the Yankees wouldn't try to spend big on a free-agent second baseman like Brandon Lowe.

The Yankees are far too complacent with their current roster

In all fairness, the offseason officially started on Monday, and the Yankees' stance on their roster can change at any moment. However, hearing these expectations from Curry, who is arguably the most trusted source for Yankees updates, is extremely damning, as it indicates that the Yankees are largely complacent with what they have.

Based on their quick postseason exits, the Yankees' roster over the past two seasons hasn't been good enough, and injuries to Gerrit Cole in 2025 and Aaron Judge in 2026 cannot be used as excuses.

As we saw, the Yankees have too many weak points: third base, catcher depth, and bullpen depth. Meanwhile, second base and center field still need to be addressed adequately, even if two underperformers, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham, are no longer there.

Regarding second base, Volpe and Garcia have too many question marks surrounding them to be completely trusted there. Garcia's defense as a middle infielder was so poor that he spent all of 2026 at first base, while Volpe has yet to show he can consistently produce at the plate. Jose Caballero is also best suited as a utility player due to his streakiness.

As for third base, it makes no sense for the Yankees to be leery of Sato when they gave Ryan McMahon consistent chances to play every day.

McMahon is no longer a plus defender at third base, while Sato thrived in an extremely pitcher-friendly environment in Japan and has plenty of room to grow upon arriving in MLB. Even if McMahon is owed $16 million next season, sticking with him out of financial obligation is unacceptable.

This doesn't even get into the lack of attention given to improving the depth behind the plate and in the bullpen. Sticking with Austin Wells as the starter will only work if he has an adequate catcher either backing him up or sharing the job, yet there was no mention of New York trying to address that.

Regarding the bullpen, the Yankees' plan seems to be largely centered on bringing Bednar back when they need more than him to keep the unit stable. Curry mentionedAdrian Morejon as a player the Yankees would like (as they should). But since the Padres gave him the qualifying offer, New York might be out on him due to their tendency to avoid signing free agents with the QO attached.

Perhaps the team has something up its sleeve regarding the trade market, as Curry largely focused on free agents. Trade targets like Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards, and Isaac Paredes could be more impactful additions to the Yankees outside of going after the top free agents available, which they don't seem too inclined to do.

Whether the Yankees prefer the trade market to free agency when making upgrades, or vice versa, running it back isn't an option because they are not a championship-caliber roster as currently constructed.

And while it is early in the offseason, their seemingly lackadaisical approach towards addressing their needs outside of re-signing Bednar is extremely concerning.

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