NEW YORK – Since the last out of the World Series, the Yankees have seen their AL East neighborhood go through some interesting changes.
Bo Bichette is out of Toronto, but Dylan Cease is in the rotation, Tyler Rogers is in the bullpen and Japan’s Kaz Okamoto is in the Blue Jays’ lineup.
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Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward will be slugging at Camden Yards, Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray are in the rotation at Fenway Park, and maybe Gavin Lux reaches his potential in the Tampa Bay Rays’ lineup.
And finally, this week, the Yankees’ quiet winter ended with the signing of free agent Cody Bellinger.
On Thursday, the Yankees claimed infielder/outfielder Marco Luciano off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
Mainly a shortstop, the right-handed hitting Luciano, 24, has spent the last six minor league seasons in the San Francisco Giants organization, batting .246 with 88 homers, 297 RBI and 302 walks in 500 minor league games.
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He’s appeared in just 41 MLB games (2023-24), batting .217 with a .590 OPS.
PROJECTED LINEUP: With Cody Bellinger returning, here’s how Yankees’ 2026 lineup looks
The final grades in October matter most, but – just an exercise – let’s assign a grade to the Yankees’ more notable player moves, with just a few weeks before spring training begins.
Yankees re-sign Cody Bellinger
Grade: A
New York Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger (35) makes a catch during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during Game 4 of the ALDS for the 2025 MLB playoffs on Oct. 8, 2025, at Yankee Stadium.
This was the right player-team fit, though it required a lengthy negotiating tango and a recent flurry of player movement to get here.
And that’s all that matters now.
Bellinger’s contract is frontloaded with a $20 million signing bonus and yearly salaries of $32.5 million, after which the lefty hitter has two opt-outs.
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But the Yankees’ patience paid off, as the Scott Boras client did not find a lengthier deal.
Bellinger, 30, was instantly at home at Yankee Stadium in 2025, producing a .909 OPS there, while batting .353 (1.016) against lefty pitching and producing a career-low 13.7 percent strikeout rate.
Given his plus-defense at the corner outfield spots and first base, Bellinger’s flexibility allows the Yankees to explore some potential impact trades involving Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones.
Yankees trade for Ryan Weathers
Grade: B+
Sep 11, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Ryan Weathers (35) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
There’s a lot of potential up-side to this trade.
A former first-round draft pick (No. 7 overall, 2018), Weathers, 26, is under team control through 2028.
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In need of flexible starting pitching depth to open the season, the Yankees sent four players (none of them pitchers, none of their top prospects) to the Miami Marlins for Weathers.
Now, the lefty also comes with an injury history, including a lat strain and a flexor strain that limited him to eight starts in 2025.
But Weathers, the son of Yankees’ 1996 world champion reliever David Weathers, has a mature pitching arsenal – 97-mph fastball, changeup, sweeper – and is seeking to refine a two-seam fastball.
He’s also had big-league experience as a reliever, should the return of injury-rehab starters Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt necessitate a switch to the bullpen.
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Yankees keep Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, Paul Blackburn
Mar 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Tim Hill (41) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Grade: B
Early this offseason, the Yankees triggered Hill’s option for $3 million, an expected move to secure the primary lefty in their bullpen.
The Yankees are also running it back with the lefty Yarbrough ($2.5 million) and the right-handed Blackburn ($2 million) to provide rotation/bullpen depth where needed.
But a reunion with Hill seemed automatic, given his steadiness, readiness and a 63.7 percent groundball rate, though he was not as effective overall last year as in 2024, when he was a midseason pickup.
Yankees going with Cade Winquest, Kaleb Ort, Amed Rosario
Grade: C+
Aug 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Kaleb Ort (63) pitches during the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images
Both right-handed relievers could impact the Yankees in 2026.
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The hard-throwing Winquest, 25, is particularly intriguing given his five-pitch arsenal and his distinction as the Yanks’ first Rule 5 Draft pick since 2011.
That means Winquest must stay on the roster all year, or else be returned to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Winquest interested the Yankees enough to consider drafting him in 2022, after taking Cam Schlittler in the seventh round, but St. Louis grabbed him in round eight.
Ort, 33, was an early January waiver claim from the Astros who posted a 4.89 ERA in 49 games with Houston last season.
Of interest to the Yanks was Ort’s stats against righty hitters last year, limiting them to a .188 batting average and .628 OPS.
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A valuable clubhouse presence, Rosario could find himself in a steady third base platoon with Ryan McMahon after posting a .302 batting average and .819 OPS versus lefty pitching last season.
Trent Grisham accepts Yankees’ $22M qualifying offer
Grade: C
New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) runs the bases against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at PNC Park.
Will the Yankees be getting a $22.025 million player in the lefty-hitting center fielder?
To have some assurances about their outfield situation, the Yankees offered – and Grisham accepted – a very large free agent qualifying offer.
Ultimately, the Yankees weren’t compromised in their pursuit of Bellinger.
But that’s a hefty one-year salary price for Grisham, though he’s coming off career highs in home runs (34) and OPS (.811) and figures to be the Yanks’ primary leadoff hitter in 2026.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees offseason grades beginning with Cody Bellinger signing