Brian Cashman is once again in the middle of the Yankees’ offseason machinery, and after a three-game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays, the roster churn is coming fast. New York survived a 93-win regular season, knocked off the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, and still watched everything unravel in the ALDS. Now the front office is staring at another round of turnover, with several familiar names set to disappear.
A couple of cases sit in the gray area. David Bednar was left off the cut list because the Yankees aren’t likely to head into next season without a proven closer, which means they’ll either pay up or give up assets for one. Jasson Domínguez was also considered, but his trade value is described as being at an all-time low, and the expectation is that he’ll be gone midseason rather than in the winter.
The rest of the list is much cleaner.
Paul Blackburn turned into one of the Yankees’ more useful surprises, growing into a multi-inning stopper and joining Bednar and Brent Headrick to give the bullpen a real backbone. He outplayed the $2 million deal he signed, but that only makes him more expensive now. The expectation is that he lands a multi-year contract on the open market, likely two years at $10-12 million per season, and the Yankees move on and try to find the next version of him instead of paying for this one.
Ali Sánchez made it all the way through the season as the Yankees’ primary backup catcher, which says plenty about how the club handled that spot. The attempted August addition of Mitch Garver never took hold, and the Yankees spent the final two months hoping they wouldn’t need Sánchez. That’s what happens when a right-handed upgrade never really arrives.
Tim Hill also looks like a goner. Ryan Yarbrough’s status matters here, but the larger issue is that Hill’s stuff lost a tick or two this season, and what once played as tricky became more ordinary. He’s a 36-year-old free agent, and the way things ended makes his departure feel inevitable, even if it stings.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is another player headed elsewhere. He finished the season with a mess of mistakes, then said he’d do it all again if given the chance.
That chance likely won’t come in New York. Even with the late-season surge that turned his year into a league-average offensive performance, his blend of athleticism and production should make him one of the most sought-after second basemen on the market behind Brandon Lowe.
Some team will pay for the flash.
Fernando Cruz is in a different category emotionally, but not much different competitively. He was a well-liked and mostly excellent Yankee, but he’s also 36 and trying to come back from a UCL tear without surgery. The Yankees put him on the 60-Day IL after his comeback attempt, and a non-tender seems like the likely ending.
Paul Goldschmidt rounds out the group. He gave the Yankees steady professionalism and kept finding ways to help when it looked like he might be finished, but he’s 39 and the roster is already built around flexibility.
With Ben Rice and Luis Garcia Jr. in the mix and Aaron Judge possibly seeing time at first base next year, the Yankees probably don’t want to keep a lefties-only backup around. Maybe this one ends with Goldschmidt’s choice, especially with a lockout looming.
Trent Grisham feels like the clearest no-return case of all. The Yankees handed him a qualifying offer before the 2026 season and bet on a short-term arrangement, but the results fell apart.
He dealt with hamstring injuries, posted a 95 OPS+, lost speed in center field, and couldn’t offset the decline with enough timely production. The bottom line is simple: bringing him back at any price would be malfeasance.
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