1. Rangers Exploring Corey Seager Trade
Seager signed with the Rangers on December 1, 2021. At 12:01 AM on December 2, the lockout began.
Seager helped the Rangers win their first World Series in 2023. He hit 6 home runs in 17 playoff games, including 3 in the World Series. He has accumulated 25.4 bWAR and 21.6 fWAR in 597 games for the Rangers.
All of that is impressive. However, there are red flags. He is owed $157.5 million over the next five years and is coming off his worst season as a Ranger (.227/.312/.424 in 102 games). Additionally, injuries have been an issue. Over the last four years, he has played in 446 games (204 over the last two campaigns).
While I think Seager could move over to third base, he has only six games of experience there, all coming during his 2015 rookie campaign.
What would he cost? If the Rangers trade him, it’s a salary dump. The cost likely won’t be as high as you may think, especially if a team is willing to take on the entire contract.
Seager’s contract included a limited no-trade clause. However, he has achieved 10/5 status, which means he has full no-trade protection.
Bottom Line:
When Seager was a free agent, I wanted him badly. Now? I don’t see it anymore. It’s taking on a lot of risk for a player who may be starting his decline. When healthy, I think he is better than his 2026. But how much better?
2. Yankees interested in Alec Bohm
If you lust for contact, Bohm fits. In 2026, he struck out 14% of the time, placing him in the 88th percentile. When it comes to squaring balls up and making contact, he is a machine.
So, why weren’t the results there? Bohm hit only .249/.315/.383 with 15 home runs and 88 RBI over 629 plate appearances. You may love those RBI. My answer is always “Imagine how many RBI he would have produced if he was good!”
Bohm’s history hasn’t always been mediocre, however. From 2022 to 2025, he hit .280/.326/.423 (104 wRC+) over 2,352 plate appearances. That said, a 7.8 fWAR over four seasons isn’t great, and his baserunning is consistently mediocre, at best. His defense also weighs him down. He was randomly strong in 2024, but that went against his career norm.
Bottom Line:
Bohm isn’t a bad MLB player. The Yankees would need to figure out what to do with Ryan McMahon if they sign Bohm. It seems unlikely he would sign for a platoon role, but he was significantly better against LHP (.292/.333/.483 vs. .229/.307/.337). That description also fits potential catching target Carson Kelly, as I noted the other day.
3. Max Fried Undergoes Surgery
It will be a challenge to find a Yankees story less surprising than this one this winter.
I don’t think the Yankees “missed” anything. We have enough reasons to question the Yankees’ competence. Many pitchers with bone spurs can pitch through them, allowing them to pitch until the inevitable surgery. Fried was fantastic in his 10 second-half starts and shut down the Red Sox in Game 2 of the Wild Card series. In Game 3 against the Rays, he pulled a “Kershaw.” Clayton Kershaw wasn’t a great postseason pitcher, but it often felt that one critical mistake killed his stat line. That happened to Fried in Game 3, when the Yankees were already in desperation mode.
Bottom Line:
The Yankees avoided a catastrophe with Fried this season, when they revealed that he had a bone bruise rather than a UCL tear. Now, he has a bone spur. Arm injuries and pitchers go hand in hand, and the hope is that he will be ready for Spring Training, whenever that is.
4. Coaching Changes
Aaron Gershenfeld worked closely with Tanner Swanson, who left the Yankees’ organization for a job with the Mariners’ big-league coaching staff. Now, Gershenfeld is in line for an MLB coaching job, though it isn’t defined.
You may not know who Gershenfeld is, which makes sense. Understudies often don’t receive the credit the big fish do.
Bench coach Brad Ausmus is the Houston Astros’ new manager. Ausmus managed the Tigers from 2014 through 2017 and the Angels in 2019. His best year was his first year (90-72), though he went 0-3 in the playoffs. That was his only playoff appearance.
James Rowson is no longer the hitting coach. Since Aaron Boone took over, the Yankees have used several hitting coaches: Marcus Thames, Dillon Lawson, Sean Casey, and Rowson. It’s a mix of personnel with and without MLB experience.
Bottom Line:
The Yankees know how to teach catching defense. Losing two of the guys most responsible for that was likely not appealing. Overall, the Yankees were a mid-pack defensive team in 2026. Didn’t it feel like most of the “good” defense came in the first half? I have no idea if that is true. Gershenfeld will try to help tighten things up.
I don’t even know what Ausmus contributed beyond being handed the lineup card whenever Aaron Boone was ejected. Ausmus is a “baseball man” (a label often given to mediocre MLB catchers when they get into coaching), but nobody will call him irreplaceable. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees try to hire an up-and-coming coach or someone with experience. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind a new voice over a recycled one at this point.
While the Yankees haven’t found consistency at the hitting coach position, they regularly are amongst the top offenses in baseball. However, I think concerns about the offense are warranted.
5. Giancarlo Stanton Isn’t Going Anywhere
Brian Cashman confirmed that Stanton will be with the Yankees in Spring Training. Presumably, to try to play baseball for nine innings without pulling or breaking something. What are the odds on Kalshi?
Stanton’s situation is not ideal. It influences how the Yankees treat their roster needs. They have to plan as if Stanton will miraculously play 140 games. The odds of that, however, are minuscule.
Stanton is always injured, and that is unlikely to change.
Bottom Line:
The Yankees aren’t confident in Ben Rice‘s defense (the proof is in how he was used after the Luis Garcia Jr. acquisition). Additionally, it is time to give Aaron Judge more time at designated hitter. It’s tough to move on from Stanton, given his production when healthy. We all knew this would happen towards the end of his contract. If only they had built a World Series winner during his tenure.
6. Brian Cashman and Jorge Posada Speak
I will make this opinion short and sweet: I don’t care.
7. Cam Schlittler Wins Cy Young Award
As expected, the vote was unanimous. While other pitchers had fantastic seasons, it was impossible to find a reason to give any of them a first-place vote.
Schlittler was unhittable in 2026. He posted a 1.95 ERA (2.56 FIP; 215 ERA+) over 193.2 innings. It was the best ERA+ in Yankees history (Ron Guidry (208) is the only other Yankee with a 200+ campaign) and tied for 66th best in MLB history. Not surprisingly, Dylan Cease finished second while rookie Parker Messick was third.
Messick’s third-place finish is important, as it earns Cleveland a bonus pick in the 2027 draft.
The Yankees had a 23-year drought between Guidry and Roger Clemens, followed by a 22-year drought between Clemens and Gerrit Cole. This drought lasted only a few years.
Bottom Line:
No doubt some voters like to go “rogue”. However, there wasn’t any justification to rank anyone above Schlittler.
As I said after the season, Schlittler could be a better pitcher in 2027 while not compiling these video game numbers. It’s a tough act for any pitcher to follow. However, it’s hard to imagine a healthy Schlittler as anything less than an ace-level pitcher.