The GM Meetings are about to become the Yankees’ first real offseason pressure point, and this year the calendar gives them extra urgency. With the MLB lockout set to begin on Dec. 1 and the Winter Meetings already wiped out, Las Vegas is the only major gathering left before the offseason window narrows fast. Brian Cashman isn’t expected to dive into the top of the free-agent market, but he does have a roster jam to clear before the 40-man freeze.
That’s why a few familiar names could be on the move before the lockout even hits.
At the top of the list are Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil, the two Yankees sitting furthest down the starting rotation depth chart right now. Gil looks like the likeliest trade candidate of the bunch.
The Yankees have long been open to moving him, and at this point he’d probably bring back little more than a lottery ticket. Two years after he was part of Kyle Tucker trade discussions, his stock has taken a hit.
He fell out of the rotation after a rough stretch following spring training, then couldn’t regain his command once he returned from injury in a bullpen role late in the year. The Yankees have never been fully sold on the volatility, and this winter feels like the time they finally move on.
Schmidt is a different kind of case, but he belongs in the same conversation. The Yankees valued him enough to risk losing Oswaldo Cabrera just to give Schmidt a shot at a late-season bullpen role after Tommy John recovery.
That gamble didn’t pay off. He dealt with renewed soreness and never got a real chance to prove himself with only one year left before free agency.
Jasson Domínguez could also be in play. There hasn’t been much chatter about his status, which says plenty given the uncertainty in the Yankees’ outfield picture.
The club couldn’t find a spot for his glove this season, and his bat didn’t do enough to force the issue. The one argument for keeping him is that his trade value has slipped so much that he may actually be more useful as Triple-A depth than as a deal chip.
Anthony Volpe is another name worth watching, especially after his late-season surge. He’s more likely to get a look at second base next spring, but if another club comes with an overpay, the Yankees can’t afford to ignore that kind of offer.
Among the prospects, Elmer Rodriguez stands out as the closest to becoming a big-league regular. He escaped being included in the Adley Rutschman talks in August, but he was clearly available. If the Yankees want to move a pitching prospect with real headliner value, Rodriguez is the one who makes the most sense.
Rory Fox is the other prospect who could draw attention. He was the biggest win from 2026’s pitching lab, and his stock has climbed enough that now might be the time to cash in.
The 2025 sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame has bumped his fastball up to 98 MPH at times after sitting 91-93 in college, and he originally came up as a shortstop. He’s now ninth on MLB Pipeline’s Yankees top 30, and there’s room for more growth.
But there’s also a chance he never throws harder than he does right now.
If nothing happens in Las Vegas, the Yankees won’t be waiting long for another shot. The clock is ticking louder by the day.
In Other News...
Yankees Face A Massive Gunnar Henderson Decision With Their Future At Stake
The idea of the Yankees making a run at Gunnar Henderson has become one of the more intriguing possibilities on the board, and it makes sense why. He is already performing like a centerpiece, and with contract control through 2028, he would give New York the kind of long-term answer at shortstop that teams spend years trying to find. For a club that always has to weigh present urgency against future planning, Henderson checks a lot of boxes at once.
The catch is the price. A deal with Baltimore would likely require the Yankees to part with multiple top prospects, which is exactly the kind of move that can reshape a farm system in a hurry. The Orioles have shown a willingness to listen on trades, though not when it comes to first baseman Pete Alonso, and that only sharpens the focus on how aggressive New York wants to be. For the Yankees, the real question is whether adding Henderson now is worth the kind of prospect loss that could echo for years. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Have A Real Shot At An Infield Upgrade
The Yankees are at least worth watching here, because Oaklands willingness to listen on Jacob Wilson opens a door that did not seem especially wide a short time ago. The Athletics are looking to strengthen their starting pitching, and that is the kind of need New York can potentially help address if it decides to get aggressive with its pitching inventory.
Wilson is not being shopped in a rush, and the As have made clear they do not have to move him. Still, the fact that they would consider offers gives the Yankees a possible path to an infield upgrade if the right package comes together, even if nothing has been finalized and the talks remain in the early stages. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Fans Still Feel Relief Over These Recent Departures
For a fan base that has spent plenty of time second-guessing roster moves, there is at least a little comfort in looking back at a few recent Yankees departures and feeling better about what came next. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Mark Leiter Jr., Devin Williams, Gleyber Torres, Alex Verdugo and Frankie Montas all passed through the Bronx with varying degrees of expectation, but the common thread was frustration. Some never found a consistent rhythm, some arrived with bigger reputations than results, and some simply left behind more questions than lasting memories.
The reaction from the stands has been telling, because these exits were not met with much regret. In a market that remembers both production and disappointment, the Yankees recent turnover has mostly been viewed through the lens of relief, especially when the performances never matched the hype or the role never quite fit. For a team that is always trying to balance urgency with patience, the fan response says plenty about how quickly a player can lose the benefit of the doubt in New York. [Read more 🡒]