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.