The Yankees’ offseason picture is starting to come into focus, and the GM Meetings in Las Vegas may have helped set a few things in motion. With the market expected to move quicker than usual because of the unusual timing and the looming lockout, New York looks like a team that could be ready to act fast.
One of the clearest threads right now is behind the plate. The prevailing read for much of the quiet stretch has been that the Yankees want a catcher to work alongside Austin Wells, not someone to push him aside.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that New York is actively engaged in talks with Carson Kelly, a right-handed hitter who fits the idea neatly. Kelly’s value comes from the way he handles left-handed pitching, which makes him a natural complement to Wells.
If Wells builds on the second half he just put together, when he posted a .787 OPS, the Yankees could end up with a strong tandem. And if Wells doesn’t hold up, Kelly has enough in the tank to take on the job full time.
There’s also been a quieter but more intriguing layer to the pitching market. Tarik Skubal has been mentioned in one Yankees rumor as a possible way to free up one of the club’s younger starters for a trade that could solve other needs, but that front has mostly stayed silent.
Scott Boras may have just added some fuel. Boras said he expects the Yankees to be very active before the CBA expires on Dec. 1, pointing to their financial muscle as a reason why.
He also said:
"The anticipated offseason was a bearish begin, but it's very clear that there is a dominant and strong Sku-bull market...teams understand there is only one Tarik card, no doubt"
- Scott Boras on Tarik Skubal pic.twitter.com/f9s137fNFz
- SNY (@SNYtv) November 11, 2026
Boras didn’t name Skubal directly there, but the message was hard to miss. He was clearly talking about a market that’s heating up, and the two-time Cy Young winner is said to have meetings lined up with six teams.
The Mets, Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Padres are already known to be in the mix, with two other clubs still unidentified. Whether the Yankees are one of them remains unknown, but Boras’ comments at least keep the door cracked open.
At third base, the Yankees’ interest in Alec Bohm has been a little murkier. There were conflicting reports about whether the sides had actually met, but Brendan Kuty of The Athletic cleared up the confusion after the back-and-forth. Bohm remains one of the better free-agent options available at the position, at least outside of Teruaki Sato, though that says as much about the market as it does about Bohm himself.
Bohm is coming off a rough year by his standards, hitting .249/.315/.383 in 2026 for his worst season since 2021. He finished with a league-average wRC+ of 100 and brought subpar defense at third, which leaves him looking like a below-average starter overall.
Even so, he still puts the bat on the ball at a high rate and hits right-handed, with a track record of doing damage against lefties. He’s a workable option, but the trade market may still offer the Yankees something better.
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For New York, the fit is easy to see. Catcher has been a spot worth monitoring, and Goodman would bring a rare middle-of-the-order threat behind the plate if the Yankees can line up the right package. The Rockies still appear focused on pitching in any talks, which means the price would not be modest, but the fact that Colorado is even more willing to listen gives the Yankees a fresh opening after coming up short at the deadline. [Read more 🡒]
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Matsui, the former Yankees slugger and 2009 World Series MVP, was officially named to the post on October 23, and Cashman made it clear he was proud to see him reach that point. For Yankees fans, it is another reminder of how much Matsui still means to the organization, and why his success continues to resonate well beyond his playing days. [Read more 🡒]
Cashman Just Made The Yankees Biggest Offseason Concern Clear
The Yankees have already made it plain where the winter work starts. Brian Cashman said the clubs top offseason priority is rebuilding the bullpen, a need sharpened by free agent departures and injuries that have thinned the relief corps. The front office would like to bring back some familiar arms, including David Bednar and Paul Blackburn, but the broader task is finding enough reliable innings to stabilize the late-game picture.
For now, everything else sits a step behind that bullpen repair job. New voices in the hitting department and upgrades at third base or second base remain on the radar, but they are not the immediate focus as the Yankees map out their roster. The message from the top is clear: before the club worries about adding polish, it has to rebuild the foundation of the pitching staff. [Read more 🡒]