The Bronx Bombers are pretty close already. Aaron Judge is Aaron Judge. And Trent Grisham is back after accepting the qualifying offer.
But with the Winter Meetings set for next week, that last outfield spot is still a need for New York. What will the Yankees do to address it? Let’s break down their main options.
Here are four directions the Yankees could go with their outfield heading into next season.
The most straightforward way to another superstar outfield in 2026 is just to get the gang back together. That means one thing: re-signing Cody Bellinger.
Judge, Grisham and Bellinger combined for 116 home runs and 286 RBIs last season. Belli himself accounted for 29 of those homers and 98 of those RBIs, his best season in those run-producing categories since his MVP year in 2019 with the Dodgers.
It’s not easy to replace that kind of offensive production, especially with a thin free-agent outfield market outside of Bellinger (more on that in a second). Nor is it easy to replace Bellinger’s versatility — he’s a great defender at all three outfield positions and was worth +7 Outs Above Average in 2025, top-20 among outfielders.
So why try to replace it if you can just keep it the same? You can argue that bringing back Bellinger should be the Yankees’ No. 1 offseason goal. And they’ve already expressed their interest in re-signing him.
2) Land the big fish, King Tuck
The one clear way the Yanks could upgrade even from Belli is by going after the top free agent on the market, period, who also just so happens to be an outfielder.
That’s Kyle Tucker, who’s a top-tier bat and, at 28, is a year-and-a-half younger than Bellinger.
Tucker is a four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger in the last five seasons — including both accolades in 2025 — and he has an .878 OPS over that time. His 145 OPS+ means he’s been 45% better than an average hitter in that five-season run, and the only outfielders who’ve been better at the plate over that time are Judge, Juan Soto, Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr.
It’ll take a rich, long-term deal to get Tucker, but if the Yankees are willing to go big for him, their outfield in 2026 would be hard to beat.
3) Roll with the Martian and Spencer Jones
The Yankees don’t have to sign a big free agent in the outfield … if they think at least one of two things will happen in 2026.
One, Jasson Domínguez makes the leap and plays at the big league level like the top prospect he was. Or two, New York’s next top outfield prospect, Spencer Jones, is ready to be an impact player in the Majors.
Domínguez was supposed to do big things in the Bronx. He just hasn’t yet. The 22-year-old lost playing time down the stretch in 2025 and wasn’t a contributor in the postseason. But, well, he’s still 22. There’s still time for the young switch-hitter to morph into a young, dangerous switch-hitter.
As for Jones, the team’s No. 4 prospect and MLB’s No. 99 prospect overall, might have been in the Majors already if not for the Yankees’ stacked outfield last season. The 24-year-old, who has Aaron Judgian stature at 6-foot-7 and an Aaron Judgian swing from the left side, has the potential to be a monster slugger. Jones crushed 35 home runs with a .933 OPS in 116 games in the Minors last year. He just needs to cut down on the strikeouts (179 in 506 plate appearances, a 35% clip).
The Yankees would have to be really confident in Jones and Domínguez to go down this path without making an additional outfield move heading into 2026, but maybe they are.
If they don’t roll with Domínguez and Jones, the Yankees could always trade Domínguez or Jones — or even someone else like Jazz Chisholm Jr. — in a deal for an outfielder.
Now, Domínguez and Jones might be more likely to hit the trade market if the Yankees secure an outfielder like Tucker or Bellinger in free agency. But if those two sign elsewhere, a trade for that third outfielder is also a possibility.
There will certainly be outfielders available via the trade market. Twins star Byron Buxton, for example, is reportedly willing to waive his no-trade clause and is one of the top players who could be dealt this offseason, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel. There could also be others available like versatile Cardinals utility player Brendan Donovan, who can play infield and outfield.
The Yankees have made big trades for outfielders at the Winter Meetings before — that’s how they got Juan Soto two years ago. Maybe they can make another move this year.
