Christmas hadn’t even come, and New York Yankees fans probably felt like Santa Claus was never going to bring them another World Series trophy again.
On the heels of losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers on the biggest stage, the Yankees also lost slugger Juan Soto in a defection to the crosstown New York Mets in December. Being handed the biggest free-agent contract ever by Mets owner Steve Cohen, Soto was another in a continuing line of top free agents who chose not to fall in with the Bronx Bombers.
It seemed like too much indignity to bear. But general manager Brian Cashman was going to remove any egg sitting on his face and try to make an omelet anyway. He had a Plan B.
“In Juan Soto’s case, he was a generational talent that came off the board and went a different direction,” Cashman told reporters ahead of spring training. “So we adjusted.”
The Yankees traded with the Cubs for slugger Cody Bellinger and added closer Devin Williams in a trade with the Brewers. The big splash in free agency came with left-hander Max Fried, and they’re pinning hopes on slugger Paul Goldschmidt returning to form at first base after two declining seasons with the Cardinals. He replaces Anthony Rizzo. That should be a good swap, though.
They also took a flier on Carlos Carrasco. It’s not an even trade with the Mets for Soto, but it has to do for the moment. Right-hander Fernando Cruz is a promising bullpen addition from the Reds. Left-hander Tim Hill re-upped a week before spring training started. Left-hander Brent Headrick was a savvy waiver claim from the Twins. Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, a former annoyance with the Rays, signed in the waning days of spring training.
But more curveballs were coming in spring training thanks to an ever-expanding list of injuries. Biggest of all, ace right-hander Gerrit Cole is out for the season with Tommy John surgery. Can’t really plan for that.
But wait, there’s more—or is it less? Postseason hero Giancarlo Stanton felt something akin to tennis elbow in both arms. He’s out indefinitely. Infielder DJ LeMahieu is injured, too. And Cole wasn’t the only member of the starting rotation to go down. Luis Gil has a strained lat, and Clarke Schmidt has rotator cuff tendinitis. Bullpen depth Jake Cousins, Scott Effross and Ian Hamilton started the season unavailable, as did free agent Tyler Matzek, though he’s expected back any moment. Hamilton’s injury is a viral illness, so that’s better than a strain, right?
It was like somebody was messing with a Yankees voodoo doll. (Was it you, Santa?) Did Cashman have a Plan C through J to follow up? No matter, it was darn inconvenient considering who Cashman let go from the 2024 roster.
Left-hander Nestor Cortes was part of the cost for Williams, along with infield prospect Caleb Durbin. Utility player Jon Berti and reliever Tim Mayza were non-tendered. Lou Trivino had his option declined. Tommy Kahnle went to free agency. It might all seem short-sighted now to let these players go, but how was Cashman to know about the voodoo doll?
Also, Dom Smith had a promising camp as a free agent, but he opted out of his minor league deal. Does nobody want to be here?
All in all, first impressions for 2025 went OK on opening day at Yankee Stadium, with Bellinger and Williams helping the Yankees win their opener against the Brewers. Williams needed a little drama to give him some juice, so he worked out of a bases-loaded jam against his old team. Consider it a little karmic payback for making him shave his beard and then, literally a day later, changing the Yankees’ infamous facial hair policy.
Fried gets his first crack at taking over for Cole on Saturday when he takes the mound in a start against Cortes. That won’t make anyone squirm in their seats a little bit, will it?
The Yankees still have Aaron Judge and enough depth to be contenders in the AL East and perhaps more, but they have little margin for error and no tolerance for additional significant injuries. Here’s a mission for manager Aaron Boone: Find that voodoo doll and bury it in Monument Park.
