The upcoming offseason will be an important one for the New York Yankees. They lost in the ALDS to the Toronto Blue Jays in four games. Even with Aaron Judge putting together a historic postseason performance, the rest of his team couldn’t back him up. The two-time American League MVP is already a lock for the Hall of Fame, but a World Series ring is the one thing he needs to complete his stacked resume. In the offseason, Brian Cashman needs to get Judge more help. He will be 34 next season, and no one knows how much longer Judge will play at an MVP level.
Judge had his best postseason by a mile. He recorded a .500 batting average along with a staggering 1.273 OPS. Not one of the 33-year-old’s teammates had an OPS above .700 during the playoffs. They have to build a better team around Judge next season and capitalize on having one of the greatest hitters of this generation.
When the Bronx Bombers failed to bring back Juan Soto, they went to a secondary plan. In the regular season, that plan worked. They signed Max Fried to bolster their rotation, giving them one of the strongest staffs in MLB. Cody Bellinger was brought to New York in a steal of a trade. Trent Grisham and Ben Rice received more playing time, and it worked, but not in the postseason.
Cashman banked too much on an offense to hit a ton of home runs. And to his credit, they hit more homers in 2025 than any other team. Nevertheless, they struck out way too much. When they weren’t bashing baseballs over the wall, they went silent.
Re-signing Bellinger and extending Jazz Chisholm Jr. makes sense. They both had phenomenal seasons. Chisholm Jr. had his first 30/30 season. Bellinger recorded a .272 batting average with a .812 OPS and 29 home runs. What the Yankees lacked in 2025 was a true lead-off hitter who could get on base for their sluggers to drive them in.
The Yankees need an on-base merchant
Fans hoped Anthony Volpe would be that guy who can get on base a ton, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype in his three seasons. The young shortstop hit .212 this season and has a career .222 batting average. Volley rarely gets on base either, as he holds a career .283 on-base percentage.
At some point, Cashman needs to realize Volpe is who he is. He’s one of the worst offensive shortstops in MLB. This offseason he should look to find a new starting shortstop. One shortstop that makes sense will be available in free agency this winter, and he’s coming off a stellar season with one of their rivals.
Bo Bichette would be a great fit with the Yankees and could be the true lead-off hitter they’ve lacked for so long. The 27-year-old hit .311 with a .840 OPS and tallied 94 RBIs in the regular season. Across his seven-year career, he holds a .294 batting average with a .806 OPS.
The Yankees should do everything they can to build a star-studded roster around Judge. If New York can retain Bellinger and add Bichette, they’d have a well-rounded powerful offense. With those offseason moves, their lineup could look something like this:
1. SS, Bo Bichette
2. CF, Cody Bellinger
3. RF, Aaron Judge
4. 1B, Ben Rice
5. DH, Giancarlo Stanton
6. 2B, Jazz Chisholm Jr.
7. C, Austin Wells
8. LF, Jasson Dominguez
9. 3B, Ryan McMahon
Bichette is only 27 years old. He’s entering the prime years of his career. With Judge being 33, they need to capitalize before his time as a historic offensive player runs out. They already have a loaded rotation, especially with Gerrit Cole returning next season. Cashman just needs to round out his lineup more and Bichette could be an answer.
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