With the offseason officially under way, it is now the time of the year to speculate, and to consider how and by what means the Yankees might improve their roster headed into 2026. While there was plenty of good to take from the ‘25 campaign, there is just as much that can be done to improve how the Bombers look going forward. We have featured pieces on how the team could prioritize the rotation and the bullpen, as well as the outfield this winter, but what can be done about the Yankees infield going forward?
There are a few players locked into consistent everyday roles on the infield dirt next season, but there are also plenty of opportunities for improvement. How, and to what degree, the Yankees can make these improvements is the real question heading into the offseason.
Let’s start by covering those sure things. Behind the plate, despite a perhaps underwhelming sophomore season, Austin Wells is all but penciled in to don the gear regularly for New York, topping 20 homers for the first time as a league-average-ish bat while doing a very nice job defensively behind the plate. After Ben Rice’s breakout as a top-ten hitter in the American League, the 26-year-old should be manning first base on Opening Day and beyond. Next to him, Jazz Chisholm Jr. will look to build on his terrific 30-30 campaign in 2025, locked into a spot in the infield, more than likely second base. That, however is where the near-certainties may end, however.
The Yankees, of course, traded for Ryan McMahan at the ‘25 deadline to bolster this exact infield crew being discussed here. While I think “unexciting” would be a reasonable description of his membership on the 2026 Yankees, I do also think he is simply an overall good player. Though his bat never fully got going in pinstripes, his superlative defense still made him a starting-caliber third baseman. He is also under contract through 2027, so it seems more than likely that he’ll stick around for now.
Joining him on the left side of the dirt is Anthony Volpe, whose 2025 could be more accurately categorized as “not good.” It was another underwhelming offensive performance, as he posted just an 83 wRC+ and 1.0 fWAR in 153 games at shortstop. Concern is warranted, and with Volpe beginning the season on the IL, José Caballero will get plenty of run in the infield, if not even taking some time away from the former top prospect even when Volpe returns.
That brings us to where the options for improvement might lay. The shortstop free agent class is not all that inspiring, with Bo Bichette standing as the only headliner at the position, and it would seem unlikely that the Yankees pursue the former Blue Jay with much intent anyway. Elsewhere in the infield, there are certainly some options. Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez headline the third basemen on the market, with sluggers Pete Alonso and Josh Naylor seeking contracts to play first base. Jorge Polanco and old friend Gleyber Torres are also out there as far as second base is concerned.
All of that being said, a big splash in the infield might be hard to envision. With a few solid players in place, Brian Cashman and co. may deem their resources more impactful elsewhere. There’s the most room for improvement on the left side, but with McMahon under contract for two years, and the team seemingly loath to give up on Volpe, the odds of them swinging big on a shortstop or third baseman seem slim.
There is also room for supplemental additions, like a possible platoon bat to compliment Rice, or even just an impact bat that can find its way into the lineup one way or another. While the market is not always clear at this point in the offseason, a trade could always be on the table as well. The Yankees have a solid core of players on the dirt, but it would be difficult to say that any of them are untouchable, so it is entirely possible that Cashman could jump on a good opportunity in the trade market as well. That could mean a lot of things, between an upgrade at a particular spot or a combination of supplemental moves to make up for some of the current roster’s shortcomings. Plenty of options are on the table, and with an infield group that has just as much talent as it does question marks, it will be interesting to see what, if any, moves will be made to improve it over the offseason.
