When their top free agent departed last winter, the Yankees proved adept at triggering Plan B. Their pivot after Juan Soto signed with the Mets worked and, even without Soto’s prodigious bat, the Yanks tied for the American League lead in wins and made the playoffs for the 26th time since 1995.
What if their top free agent departs for the second consecutive offseason? Can the Yankees do it again should Cody Bellinger, who was part of Plan B last winter, sign elsewhere?
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Bellinger fits in the Bronx – he looked so comfortable in his first season in pinstripes it was as if he’d played there for years. But the 30-year-old will have a strong market after flourishing in 2025 with 29 home runs, an .813 OPS and strong baserunning and defense. He can play all three outfield positions and first base and that versatility only enhances his value. He wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer, so there’s no attached draft pick loss to the team that signs him, either.
Losing him would be a big blow to the Yankees, who are trying to win the World Series for the first time since 2009.
So how would they cope? We have some ideas for this winter’s version of Plan B. If it’s necessary…
The kids in the outfield
While there’s endless debate over what Spencer Jones might or might not become and similar scrutiny on what Jasson Domínguez is or isn’t, what if both turn out to be answers in the outfield? GM Brian Cashman said Jones, who has massive power and athleticism but also massive swing-and-miss, has put himself in position to make the big club after a 35-homer season in the minors.
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Domínguez showed flashes last season, but as one of the most hyped prospects in history, most fans expected towering numbers, which he did not deliver. If both are good enough in ‘26, having two cheap lineup staples would allow the Yanks to plow more money into the free agent market to fill other needs.
Sleep on it
Trent Grisham was a revelation in ‘25, pounding a career-high 34 home runs and setting himself up for a big free agent payday. The Yanks gave “The Big Sleep” a qualifying offer, which is $22.05 million for one year. He could accept it and return. Or the Yanks could bring him back by working out a multi-year deal.
If Grisham and his laid-back vibe were in center again, it would leave only left field for the Yanks to figure out. They’ll gather more intel by Tuesday at 4 p.m., which is the deadline for Grisham to accept or reject the qualifying offer.
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We want a pitcher
A big part of why last season’s Plan B worked was because the Yankees signed Max Fried and the lefty was sensational, with a 2.86 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 195.1 innings. He was eighth in ERA and finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting. Nice add to a team that also had MLB’s top offense in terms of runs per game and homers. If no Bellinger, perhaps they should fortify through the rotation again by adding a big-name free agent such as Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, or Ranger Suárez.
Ranger Suarez / Imagn Images/Envato Elements/SNY Treated Image
Perhaps Tatsuya Imai, a righty who had a 1.92 ERA last season, fits for a team that has thrived with Japanese aces in the past.
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Yes, the Yanks already have a formidable starting staff in place with Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Luis Gil. But Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón will start the season late as they finish recovery from surgeries — and teams need huge starting inventories in the war-of-attrition world of modern-day pitching.
Gil or Warren could be moved in a trade (Yanks need ‘pen help). Someone else could get hurt. The Dodgers didn’t seem to be worried about adding too many starters last winter. How’d that work out?
Contact play
In previous columns, we’ve been over the many reasons the Yankees could use a hitter – hitters? – with a nifty contact profile and a low-strikeout mindset. It’s even more vital if Bellinger splits, considering he had a career-best 13.7 percent strikeout rate last year, well south of the MLB average of 22.2 percent.
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We dream of Steven Kwan in pinstripes. If such a trade with Cleveland could be possible, it must be pursued vigorously. Even if it’s just one slot in the batting order, the Yanks might be helped by a hitter who puts the ball in play and gets some action going on the basepaths.
Could free agent contact fiend Luis Arraez, who had by far the lowest strikeout rate in the majors, fit somewhere, even if he’s not a good defender?
Jazz at Bronx center?
Maybe there’s a world in which the Yanks move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to center field and then sign Bo Bichette to play second base. Chisholm has played 192 games in center in his career and the Marlins once believed he was their long-term solution there. He’s athletic and fast and it might be a nice way to play out his final season before free agency, showing teams his crazy versatility along with his 30-30 offensive profile. Bichette, who has the seventh-most hits in baseball since 2021, would help diversify the Yankees’ attack.
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Tuck(er) and roll
OK, we’re like the rest of the world, linking the Yankees to the top bat on the free agent market, Kyle Tucker. They are the Yankees, after all, and this feels like an annual tradition. Tucker would be a neat replacement should Bellinger leave and he’ll play next season at 29 years old.
Tucker has played much of his career in right field, a spot currently occupied on the Yankees by the game’s most destructive offensive force (Aaron Judge, duh), so he’d have to move to left. No biggie and it’s fun to imagine Judge and Tucker in the same lineup, along with other thumpers such as Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice.
Adding Tucker doesn’t feel super-likely, however, considering how much more expensive he could turn out to be than Bellinger. The Yanks are already sitting on some mammoth contracts.
