MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: The previous edition of the Yankees news roundup noted that the Yankees were still considering adding a platoon bat. Well they may have found one in a player who has surfaced in various Yankees rumors for a few years now: Randal Grichuk. Formerly a pesky division rival with the Blue Jays from 2018-21, Grichuk had a penchant for making his pop count in New York, as he has 18 career homers in 63 games against the Yankees. Grichuk had a 139 OPS+ in 279 PA for the D-backs
in 2024 and blistered lefties to the tune of a .941 OPS from 2022-24 but dipped this past year with Arizona and Kansas City, so at age-34, he had to settle for a non-roster invitation from the Yankees. Still, while Grichuk might not be a lock for the Opening Day roster, this may be just another sign that Jasson Domínguez is heading to Triple-A to start 2026.
New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Entering play on Wednesday, the Yankees have gone 6-for-7 in ABS challenges in Grapefruit League action. The lone loss came on Austin Wells challenging behind the plate, but challenges from the hitters have been well-timed and correct. The club has long preached hitters’ knowledge and control of the strike zone, and that seems to be paying off in the big-leaguers’ first taste of the review process. The team is still dialing in how it’ll implement their own challenge strategy once the games count for real, but for now, they might just be best off to keep doing what they’re doing.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: My least-in-demand party trick will require an update, as the Yankees announced that CC Sabathia’s No. 52 will be retired, with a plaque ceremony taking place pregame on September 26, 2026. Monument Park isn’t just a collection of Yankee greats, but a who’s who of some of the most dominant players to ever put a baseball jersey on, and it’ll be great to see the former ace take his rightful place in Yankee history. For more on CC, check out Matt’s breaking news story from last night.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Will Warren is going to be called upon to start the season strong, as the Yankees wait for a couple of their bigger arms to recover from injury. While he wasn’t exactly bad in 2025, bouts of inconsistency especially against left-handed batters plagued the righty, and lowering that platoon tax is a major focus of Warren’s time in camp. Fortunately, Warren seems to have been taken under the wing of Clarke Schmidt, who was in a similar position to Will two years ago and if it weren’t for Tommy John surgery, would have made that jump from touch-and-go hurler to respectable rotation piece.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: One of the recurring themes of Yankee spring is that because the team inks so many players to major deals — deals that command a roster spot of their own virtue — there are plenty of “bubble” players who have to prove themselves in camp. Jasson Domínguez is likely to be one of those hard-luck losers, with a stacked outfield and frankly a need to polish up some defense and hitting from the right side, perfect for a Triple-A assignment. The bullpen picture is also muddy so far, with newbie Angel Chivilli and last year’s pickup Brent Headrick both in competition for the last MLB roster slot.
