NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 30: Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees walks back to the dugout in the ninth inning during Game One of the American League Wild Card Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 30, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
MLB Photos via Getty Images
The New York Yankees came up short of expectations this past season and now seem likely to revamp several areas of the roster.
First and foremost, the team will be constructing a new-look bullpen after a significant trade deadline shakeup. Despite bringing in Camilo Doval, Jake Bird and David Bednar in the middle of the season, the Yankees appear to be far from set in the relief corps. To that end, the team declined Jonathan Loaisiga’s club option on Wednesday.
And the Yankees face some coming turmoil in the outfield as well.
They will see outfielder Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham hit free agency and will evaluate the value of bringing those players back, signing or trading for new players and promoting a new rookie.
Reflecting on those coming decisions, Yankees insider Bob Klapisch revealed that general manager Brian Cashman is prepared to bring top prospect Spencer Jones up to the big-league club as an outfielder next season if Bellinger leaves for a new deal from another team.
“I’ve been told by people familiar with Cashman’s thinking that the Yankees are ready to commit to Jones if Bellinger doesn’t come back,” Klapisch wrote for NJ.com. “I believe Bellinger will sign with another club and so do a lot of people around the big leagues.”
With Bellinger’s exit from the Yankees a projected conclusion, Cashman could be preparing to slot Jones in alongside Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez and possibly Grisham for next season’s outfield mix. That would mark an exciting new era for the Yankees, but it could also amplify some of the batting order’s weaknesses.
Jones slashed an impressive .274/.362/.571 with 35 homers across Double-A and Triple-A this past season, but he has a concerning propensity to strikeout.
“Jones, 24, has massive power,” Danny Abriano noted for SNY. “But his strikeout rate in four minor league seasons has been alarming.”
Last year, Jones struck out 200 times across 124 games. That could be a poor fit alongside the Yankees’ other power hitters, like Judge, Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Dominguez, who are also deep threats with a tendency to strikeout. Following the Yankees’ playoff exit this year, there have been some calls for the team to realign around the type of contact production that puts runners on base and proved successful for the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.
If the Yankees do replace Bellinger with Jones in the outfield next season, fans could be hoping that the team also brings in some contact hitters to help balance out the batting order.