ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) \u2014 The New York Yankees spent most of the 2025 season chasing the American League champion Blue Jays. From a summer sweep to a post-season gut punch, Toronto became the measuring stick the Yankees couldn\u2019t clear.<\/p>\n
Aaron Boone was asked how his club closes that gap going into 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying better against them is the real simple answer,\u201d the New York manager said Monday at baseball’s winter meetings. \u201cThey kicked our butt. \u2026 That ended up really hurting us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, Boone pointed out the Yankees had the same regular-season record (94-68) as their AL East rivals.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, we ended with identical records last year. I don\u2019t want to discount that they kicked our (rear ends) last year \u2014 don\u2019t take it out of context. I would say the gap is small,\u201d Boone said. \u201cWe had the exact same record. But they obviously were a great team last year, an eyelash away from winning the world championship.”<\/p>\n
The Blue Jays won the AL East title on a head-to-head tiebreaker over New York. They beat the Yankees 3-1 in their best-of-five Division Series and went on to win the American League pennant before losing the decisive Game 7 of the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in extra innings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey certainly proved to be the better team this year, and hopefully we can close that gap and pass them and others this year,\u201d Boone said.<\/p>\n
To do that, the Yankees need to address holes in their lineup this winter. While general manager Brian Cashman has said re-signing Cody Bellinger is a priority, Boone said he has not been recruiting the versatile former National League MVP.<\/p>\n
\u201cI usually don\u2019t recruit as much with guys that we\u2019ve had. They know who we are. They know what we\u2019re about,\u201d Boone said. \u201cCertainly if there comes a point where \u2014 and this isn\u2019t just for Cody, this is with anyone \u2014 when it gets to a point where we\u2019re starting to get down the road or be in conversations, I\u2019ll certainly have those conversations with guys where I see it fit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boone also reacted to recent comments by former Yankees right-hander Sonny Gray, who said after being traded last month from St. Louis to Boston that he never wanted to pitch for the Yankees in the first place years ago and he was glad to now be with the rival Red Sox on a team where it\u2019s easy to hate the Bronx Bombers.<\/p>\n
Gray struggled in New York after he was acquired from the Oakland Athletics in a 2017 trade. Boone admitted, at the time, he knew the Bronx wasn\u2019t the \u201cbest\u201d place for Gray.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s in Boston now. He\u2019s not supposed to like us anyway,\u201d Boone said. \u201cThat being said, I\u2019ve always really liked Sonny, gotten along well with him. If he\u2019ll spice up the rivalry a little, there\u2019s nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I was a little surprised how deep he went.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boone knows the target is always on the Yankees from Boston, Toronto and around the AL East. That\u2019s what he\u2019ll remind his players when 2026 spring training begins.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to play well, especially in our division, if you\u2019re going to have a chance to win the division and do something great,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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