Brian Cashman came back from the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas with a clear early message for the Yankees’ 2027 offseason: the bullpen is the first thing on his list.
That makes sense on paper. David Bednar, Paul Blackburn and Tim Hill are all headed for free agency, and Bednar even received a $23.15 million qualifying offer, giving New York a chance to keep its closer in the fold. Cashman also pointed to the fact that two of the club’s key late-inning arms are now on the market, which leaves a real hole if the Yankees want to build a reliable relief group.
Brent Headrick is still under team control after a huge year, turning in a 2.18 ERA over 81 appearances. The Yankees have also shown interest in bringing back Blackburn and Hill, while Jonathan Loáisiga has come up as another possible reunion. Adrian Morejon, who was on New York’s radar at the trade deadline, is also part of the picture.
Still, the bullpen isn’t the only place where the roster needs work. If anything, the more pressing issues may be on the offensive side, where the Yankees have major questions at third base, second base and in the outfield after winning 93 games in 2026, sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series and then getting knocked out by the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS.
Third base remains unsettled. Ryan McMahon has not fully locked down the job, and the Yankees have been tied to Alec Bohm. He’s an option, but not necessarily the kind of bat that changes the entire lineup.
Second base is just as murky. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is testing free agency, while Brandon Lowe and Luis Arraez have reportedly drawn New York’s interest.
Internally, the Yankees could turn to Anthony Volpe, José Caballero or Luis García Jr. And then there’s Corey Seager, who has entered the conversation through reported talks with Texas.
That possibility comes with obvious complications because of his contract and no-trade protection.
One name that stands out in a different way is Teruaki Sato. After a Triple Crown season in Japan, he hit .306 with 39 home runs and 106 RBIs.
For a Yankees team looking for more consistent offense, that kind of production is hard to ignore. The organization has also been scouting Japanese pitching prospect Shoki Oda.
The Yankees are also looking for another right-handed catcher to pair with Austin Wells, and Spencer Jones remains a possible answer in center field.
On the mound, the rotation is in strong shape. Cam Schlittler just won the American League Cy Young Award unanimously after a remarkable 2026 season, and Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Max Fried and Will Warren are all in the mix. Fried is recovering from elbow surgery, but starting pitching is not the area that should be keeping the Yankees up at night.
There has also been some turnover on the coaching staff. Brad Ausmus, James Rowson and Tanner Swanson have moved on, while Aaron Gershenfeld has been promoted to the major-league staff.
Cashman clearly sees the bullpen as the first order of business, and there’s logic to that. But the Yankees can’t treat another offseason like a series of side projects.
They have an elite rotation, veteran pieces and some young talent already in place. What they need now is a front office willing to make the tougher calls, especially with a potential MLB lockout approaching.
After another October that ended in disappointment, the Yankees have plenty of reasons to do more than talk about possibilities. Eventually, somebody has to make a move.
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Torres gives New York something it has long valued in the middle infield: offense. The catch is the same one that followed him before, since the Yankees would have to balance that bat against his defensive limitations and whatever positional flexibility he might still offer. It leaves the front office weighing whether a reunion makes sense, or whether the better answer is still somewhere else on the roster or market. [Read more 🡒]