Rest of Offseason plan (long post)-not Chat GPT created-all done by me lol. I spent a long time on this.

TLDR-Bring in B. Doyle, J. Wilson and Mitch Garver for remaining offseason pieces. Dominguez, O. Cabrera and Escarra will be needed depth pieces in AAA who are guaranteed to get playing time at some point this year.

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I have missed you all lately. I have been dealing with some family stuff (dad in and out of hospital lately) and also work related stuff related to this Midwest Winter Storm.

Finally the NBA trade deadline was taking away any non-work and any non-family related time I had (the Memphis Grizzlies trading away Jaren Jackson Jr. broke my heart and keeping Ja Morant is really confusing). I am also excited about the Olympics and the Super Bowl and the WBC. Anyway…

I agree with some of you (but a know a minority of you) all about Jasson. If we keep him he needs to start the year in AAA. I still think we should use them as a trade chip, but I definitely don’t want to give him away for nothing.

Bring on the downvotes, but roster construction wise (as LHH backups for LHH starters) we can’t have him nor Escarra as primary backups to start the year.

We also can’t have Rice be the backup C. He needs to be 4th or 5th on the catching depth chart. I will be downvoted for this since a lot of you disagree with me on this, but I will be shouting this from the rooftops for a long time. It is that crucial.

Rice needs to concentrate on improving his 1B (scoop defense) and maintaining and raising his offense. Catching is a brutal job.

An unknown RHH, C An unknown RHH OF, Rosario (who platoons w/McMahon) & if he has a good spring Paul Dejong (as a backup SS as he doesn’t have options or another NRI like Zack Short) should be the bench on opening day.

Caballero is the starting SS. Cabrera, Escarra and Dominguez all go to AAA as they all have options.

https://www.fangraphs.com/roster-resource/depth-charts/yankees

Injury scenarios:

An injury to Wells or the RHH C means Escarra is up.

An injury to Jazz, McMahon, Dejong/Short or Caballero means Cabrera is up.

Dominguez is called up if there is an injury to Rice (Bellinger to 1B & Dominguez to LF), Judge (Dominguez to RF), the backup RHH OF, Grisham (Bellinger to CF and Dominguez to LF) or Stanton (Judge to DH & Dominguez to RF).

Dominguez WILL get playing time. He just isn’t a fit for the opening day roster and that is ok. It isn’t an indictment against him.

If a second OF/DH gets injured then S. Jones gets called up.

Once Volpe is back then DFA Dejong and then put Caballero on the bench.

This is the depth we need. We need those two bench bats though.

Mitch Garver as the RHH C? Admittedly not a good defender, but he much better than Rice is. I will reiterate again- Rice needs to not worry about the mental and physical burden of catching and if he does it will negatively affect his offense. I guarantee it. He is our 2nd or 3rd most important offensive piece this year. We CAN NOT let catching affect that.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/mitch-garver/15161/splits?position=NP

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/mitch-garver-641598?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

Garver has a career .255 BA, 13.4% BB rate, 21.5% K rate, .832 OPS and a 131 wRC+ vs. LHP. Which is very good.

Dream would be trade for Ryan Jeffers-I would be fine in giving up Escarra & Hess, but I know others won’t be happy with that. So I have given up on that.

In 2025 Garver wasn’t great, but still had a 107 wRC+ vs. LHP. 1 yr/$3M is worth it. Moreso then bringing back Goldy for the same price in my opinion as Garver can play a more important defensive position.

As far as OF goes-Just trade for Brenton Doyle. COL is rebuilding and he is a hell of a defensive CF. He is the perfect 4th OF type.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/brenton-doyle-686668?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

Yeah the “under the hood” hitting stats aren’t great for him, but remember that just a year ago (2024) he batted .260 w/30 steals and 23 HRs.

Doyle is making $3.1M in arb with two more controllable years after this. Trade Bryce Cunningham straight up for him? I think both teams do that.

Doyle has a spot on next year’s roster as well when Grisham becomes a FA again (and probably moves on).

Despite being dog crap offensively last year he still had these #s vs. LHP:

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/brenton-doyle/25479/splits?position=NP

2025-.306 BA/7.4% BB rate/.20.6% SO rate/.839 OPS/ 119 wRC+

Career-.253 BA/5.8 % BB rate/26.6% SO rate/.718 OPS/83 wRC+

Finally for pitching sign Justin Wilson as our last BP arm. 1 year for $2-$4M?

Jacob from That’s Baseball and Fireside Yankees has been a big proponent of Wilson and I agree.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/justin-wilson/4301/stats/pitching

27.5% SO rate in 2025. Under a 10% BB rate. Has experience in big markets (Boston last year, Mets a few years ago and with us a decade ago). Fastball AVG still about 95 mph. Expected ERA for 2026 is in the 3.6 range which isn’t bad.

Excluding 2019,2020 (COVID), 2022 & 2023 (injuries)he is also a work horse with 45+ IPs each year. Career 45.9% Groundball rate. Sounds like a good pickup to me.

Add an extra $8-$10M or so to payroll (Finish at about $340M-but no long term commitments), but have a much deeper and complete team.

Roster depth shown once healthy (I want us to be at least 3 deep at every position with competent players). Vivas is DFA’d as he has no options.

C-

  1. Wells (L) (MLB)

    1. Garver (R) (MLB)

  2. Escarra (L) (AAA)

  3. P. Henry (R) (AAA) (2 options left)

  4. Rice (L) (MLB) (emergency only)

1B-

  1. Rice (L) (MLB)

  2. Bellinger (L) (MLB)

  3. N. Torres (R) (AAA)

  4. S. Brown (L) (AAA)

2B-

  1. Chisholm (L) (MLB)

  2. Caballero (R) (MLB)

  3. Rosario (R) (MLB)

  4. Cabrera (S) (AAA)

  5. M. Luciano (R) AAA) emergency only)

SS-

  1. Volpe (R) (MLB-IL to start year)

  2. Caballero (R) (MLB)

  3. P. Dejong (R)(MLB-DFA’d midseason)

  4. Z. Short (R) (AAA if through waivers)

  5. Cabrera (S) (AAA)

  6. Rosario (R) (MLB) (emergency only)

3B-

  1. McMahon (L)MLB-starts against all RHP

    1. Rosario (R) MLB-starts against all LHP

  2. Cabrera (S) (AAA)

  3. Caballero (R) (MLB)

LF-

  1. Bellinger (L) (MLB)

  2. Doyle (R) (MLB)

  3. Dominguez (S) (AAA)

  4. Spencer Jones (L) (AAA)

  5. O. Cabrera (S) (AAA)

  6. M. Luciano (R) (AAA)

  7. Y. Fernandez (L) (AAA)

  8. Caballero (R) (MLB)

  9. Rosario (R) (MLB)

CF-

  1. Grisham (L) (MLB)

  2. Doyle (R) (MLB)

  3. Bellinger (L) (MLB)

  4. S. Jones (L) (AAA)

RF-

  1. Judge (R) (MLB)

  2. Dominguez (S) (AAA)

  3. Bellinger (L) (MLB)

  4. Doyle (R) (MLB)

  5. S. Jones (L) (AAA)

  6. O. Cabrera (S) (AAA)

  7. M. Luciano (R) (AAA)

  8. Y. Fernandez (L) (AAA)

  9. Rosario (R) (MLB)

    1. Caballero (R) (MLB)
    2. N. Torres (R) (AAA)
    3. S. Brown (L) (AAA)
    4. Stanton (R) (MLB) (emergency only)

DH-

  1. Stanton (R) (MLB)

  2. Judge (R) (MLB)

  3. Dominguez (S) (AAA)

  4. Garver (R) (MLB) (Escarra called up to BU C)

SP- Top 5 in rotation, 6-8 in bullpen as swing men (once healthy)

  1. Fried (L) (MLB)

  2. Cole (R) (MLB-IL to start year)

  3. Rodon (L) (MLB-IL to start year)

  4. Schlittler (R) (MLB)

  5. Warren (R) (MLB)

  6. Gil (R) (MLB)

  7. Weathers (L) (MLB)

  8. Yarborough (L) (MLB)

  9. Blackburn (R) (MLB-IL or DFA upon Rodon’s return)

  10. C. Winquest (R) (MLB-IL or back to Cardinals upon Cole’s return)

  11. Rodriguez (R) (AAA)

  12. Beck (R) (AAA)

  13. Hampton (R) (AAA)

  14. Lagrange (R) (AA)

  15. Hess (R) (AA)

  16. Kloffenstein (R) (AAA) (has 2 options)

  17. Carr (L) (AA)

  18. Selvidge (L) (AA)

  19. C. Smith (R) (A+) (emergency only-Schlittler comparison)

  20. Schmidt (R) (MLB-IL to start year-probably won’t see until 2027)

RP-Top 5 make roster-swingmen fill other bullpen roles. We have good depth here.

  1. Bednar (R) (MLB)

  2. Doval (R) (MLB)

  3. Cruz (R) (MLB)

  4. Wilson (L) (MLB)

  5. Hill (L) (MLB)

  6. Headrick (L) (AAA)

  7. Bird (R) (AAA)

  8. Chivilli (R) (AAA)

  9. Y. De Los Santos (R) (AAA)

  10. D. Coleman (R) (AAA)

  11. K. Castro (R) (AAA)

  12. H. Cohen (R) (AAA)

  13. M. Arias (R) (AA)

  14. C. Coleman (R) (AAA)

  15. B. Hanner (R) (AAA)

  16. E. Rezylman (R) (AA)

5 comments

  2. Jasson may need the AAA time to get some confidence back. Not sure it is going to happen unless someone has a good spring and he struggles some.

  3. Would much rather just have Dominguez or Jones in the majors playing when others need rest than trading a valuable pitcher for a 4th outfielder. We can spend that prospect capital / money on improving the bullpen.

  4. Amazing post. You covered really good our depth and how the team plans to move players if someone gets injured; Belli plays an important role here (and he’s really valuable with his skill to move all around the outfield, he’s a one piece depth army that gives flexibility). Agree with Dominguez in the minors.

    Also agree that Rice should not be catching anymore, except in case both Wells and Escarra die in a plane crash or something. Let the specialists handle it. If Wells needs resting time, specially if his hand hasn’t recovered, then Escarra needs to be always available (so who will be sent down to make space for him?). Remember Wells was better when taking rests.

    I specially liked the love for my boy Warren. He’s not an ace, not everyone will be one, but gave us a lot of innings this past season and isn’t made of glass like Gil. He just needs to figure out how to pitch outside of Yankee Stadium.

    Hope Matt Blake can do some magic with the bullpen. If he can this team will be WAY better than past year

  5. I know we don’t always agree, but I think this is solid! I’m scared the Yankees consider themselves done, barring late trades or pickups during the DFA fest at the end of ST.

    I especially feel strongly about the rice catching situation. In a pinch, I don’t mind it, but I think he’s best served as a 1B or DH. Catching will just wear on his body and cause his stick to be less useful than it should be. Hes also attrocious there, like you pointed out.

    I’m not sure the Yankees feel the same as you, RE RHH and LHH catcher and backup catcher. They ran this situation exactly into last year, I have a hard time seeing them not do that again. As much as I would like change.

    The BP scares me. The fact that as currently constructed we have Blackburn yarby and winquest in there is crazy to me. An arm (or two) goes a long way. Tim hill and bird being penciled in for medium leverage innings doesn’t seem like a good thing. Let alone if one of our very injury prone starters (Gil and weathers) isn’t ready to go, then we lose one of yarby and Blackburn as well.

    The Yankees certainly do a good job with developing relievers, I’ll give them that. It just seems like asking them to work magic with 3+ guys is risking too much.

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