At least it wasnt a humiliation.
Yes, the New York Yankees ALDS defeat to the division rival Toronto Blue Jays was disappointing, especially for a franchise with supersonic expectations. But compared to the total embarrassment that was the 2024 World Series, this exit feels like less of a referendum on the organization and more of a showcase of the perils of October baseball.
The Yankees didnt make many obvious mistakes against the Blue Jays. Yes, Jazz Chisholm Jr.s high-profile error in Game 4 was bad, but it didnt swing the balance of the series. In fact, Toronto made one more error in the field over the course of the four games. Even so, the Jays were simply the better team, outplaying the Yankees in most facets of the game. Not even Aaron Judges signature October moment could tip the scales.
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That said, theres ample blame to go around. Three of the four New York starters in this set delivered stinkers. Luis Gil, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón combined to allow 15 runs across eight innings of work. That trio surrendered four homers while striking out just five Jays hitters. Few could have anticipated such a thorough capitulation, especially after the rotation had been a relative strength for New York all year, even after losing ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery in March.
The offense, Judge obviously excluded, also underwhelmed. Starting position players besides Judge went 20-for-126 in the series. Thats a paltry .179/.246/.304 slash line. The main culprits were Chisholm (2-for-14), leadoff man Trent Grisham (2-for-17) and young slugger Ben Rice (2-for-11). But nobody struggled more than much-maligned shortstop Anthony Volpe, who finished the set 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts.
New Yorks bullpen, considered a potential Achilles heel, stepped up big time. So did Judge and rookie hurler Cam Schlittler. It wasnt enough. And so, the Yankees World Series drought stretches to 16 years. Ahead of them is another ringless winter full of decisions. Lets get into some of the biggest questions facing the Bombers this offseason.
Almost certainly not. Owner Hal Steinbrenner, who has been the clubs control person since 2008, has known only one general manager: Brian Cashman. Steinbrenner values Cashmans track record of building a contender more often than not. After all, the Yanks have made the playoffs in 22 of Cashmans 27 years at the helm.
Manager Aaron Boone is also likely safe. Asked about his job status at the media conference following the Game 4 loss, Boone relayed that hes under contract and expects to be the skipper in 2026. He has come under fire for some of his in-game decision making, but he draws praise for handling a clubhouse of stars in a scrutinous media market.
The Yankees have eight unrestricted free agents: Grisham, veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, utility man Amed Rosario, bench outfielder Austin Slater, high-leverage relievers Luke Weaver and Devin Williams, and depth arms Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough. Outfielder Cody Bellinger, a key member of the 2025 squad, has an opt-out for his $25 million contract for next season, which hes sure to exercise. Expect the Yankees to activate the $3 million team option on sidewinding lefty reliever Tim Hill and decline the $5 million option on oft-injured reliever Jonathan Loáisiga.
Its also important to note that the Yankees have around $30 million worth of dead money coming off the books this winter. Thats the approximate combined total the club was paying Aaron Hicks, Marcus Stroman and JT Brubaker, all of whom are no longer with the organization. That figure plus the $95 million or so that was being paid to impending free agents gives New York about $125 million to operate with if they plan on carrying a similar payroll, though arbitration raises for guys such as Chisholm, Volpe, David Bednar and Fernando Cruz will eat into that a bit.
Given how left-handed the lineup has become, its difficult to envision the Yankees reuniting with both Grisham and Bellinger, both of whom swing from the left side. Bellinger will command a larger number but feels like the likelier of the two to return. Similarly, dont expect both Williams and Weaver to be back in pinstripes. The Yankees havent shelled out big bucks for relievers in free agency for a while. Goldschmidt is also a good bet to be gone; the Yankees want to clear a path for Ben Rice to be the every-day first baseman.
The Yankees probably dip their toes in the Kyle Tucker waters but end up passing. Alex Bregman, likely to opt out of his contract with Boston, would be a great fit as a high-contact, right-handed stick, but his arrival would require a significant defensive reshuffling. The rotation feels pretty set with Fried, Rodón and Schlittler leading the line and Cole due back at some point mid-year.
There will be Pete Alonso rumors, but committing long-term to a first baseman doesnt make a ton of sense when Ben Rice is around. Kyle Schwarber is a DH only at this point, a spot blocked by Giancarlo Stanton. Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami will get some love as well; hes just 26 and can play both corner infield spots. Bo Bichette rakes, but hes a big defensive downgrade at shortstop if the Yanks choose to move on from Volpe. Speaking of which
This was a dreadful year for the homegrown shortstop. His offensive numbers took a step back, and he looked out-of-sync defensively for most of the season. He got back in rhythm with the glove down the stretch but was a lost puppy at the plate in the ALDS.
Over the years, the Yankees have passed on big-name shortstops in free agency (Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Trea Turner, Willy Adames, Trevor Story, Dansby Swanson) because they believed in Volpe. That faith has to be waning to some extent. Whether Volpe enters spring training as the no-doubt starting shortstop will be one of the biggest Yankees storylines of the winter.
Dominguezs 2025 the top prospects first full season in the bigs was a mixed bag. He stayed healthy but finished the year with a league-average batting line to go with awful defensive numbers in the outfield. As such, his playing time dwindled down the stretch; he started just six games in September and played all nine innings for just one of those. His only October contribution was a pinch-hit double in the ninth inning of Game 4.
The switch-hitter is still just 22 years old, but the Yankees need to give him consistent playing time if hes going to develop into a game-changer. Teams like the Yankees that are always in contention tend to be more wary of risking every-day roles on flawed youngsters. So it remains to be seen if theres a landing spot in New York for The Martian.