NY Post | Greg Joyce: Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been attending the annual general managers meetings this week virtually due to “something non-baseball related,” per a Yankees spokesman. They also relayed
that Cashman is continuing to carry out his functions despite not being onsite, while several front office members — including assistant GM Mike Fishman, vice president of player development Kevin Reese, and director of baseball operations Matt Ferry — are attending in person. The annual general managers meetings are an opportunity for each team’s decision makers to convene and begin to establish a framework for the offseason to come. Cashman is expected to address the media via Zoom on Wednesday for the first time since his season-ending press conference.
ESPN | Jeff Passan: A pass at hypothesizing the ideal transactions for each potential 2026 contender. With Passan projecting Kyle Tucker to Toronto, he gives the Yankees a reunion with outfielder Cody Bellinger, who could help patch up the team’s biggest area of need in center field (assuming Trent Grisham declines his qualifying offer). Passan is bullish on the team as a whole, giving particular praise to what he calls “a whale of a rotation” on paper.
SNY | SNY Newsdesk: After operating with a $323.7 million payroll last season, both Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner have repeatedly emphasized a desire to get under the $300 million mark sooner rather than later. Given their current obligations, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman speculates that the team could bring back Bellinger, add a back-end starter, and re-sign Amed Rosario or a similar part-time righty bat while accomplishing that goal. Factoring in projected salaries for controllable players, the Yankees’ payroll currently sits around $244 million, leaving them little margin to add more if they choose to pursue a big fish like Bellinger.
