It goes without saying that after their ALDS elimination, the 2025 season did not go as the New York Yankees had hoped. Sure, their pivot after losing Juan Soto worked in the regular season, but the offense (other than Aaron Judge) disappeared in October, as has become customary, leading to an early exit.
Now, the focus shifts to what should be a fascinating offseason in the Bronx, and all Yankees fans can do is hope changes are made. Will this be the offseason in which the organization fires one or both of Brian Cashman or Aaron Boone? That remains to be seen, but regardless of what happens on those fronts, the Yankees must be aggressive in free agency.
That starts with targeting Kyle Tucker and these other difference makers.
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4. Kyle Tucker, outfielder
With Vladimir Guerrero Jr. having signed his extension, Kyle Tucker is the lone marquee free agent available this offseason, and he's a guy the Yankees absolutely should be expressing interest in.
I know the concerns. He hasn't exactly finished his 2025 season strongly, and his postseason numbers leave a lot to be desired. While both are fair, here are a couple of things to consider: Tucker played much of the second half through an injury, and even Judge hadn't had the postseason numbers anyone would expect him to until this October.
Assuming Tucker is healthy, he's a bonafide superstar, and is someone who should perform in October. He isn't quite Soto with the bat, but he's a much better defender, and is still a superstar they can lean on. We saw how good their offense was with a Judge-Soto dynamic duo. Tucker isn't Soto at the plate, but he's still an elite bat, and the supporting cast is better than it was on that Soto team. The Yankees needed more production from their non-Judge bats, and landing Tucker would give the supplemental pieces the best shot to perform in October. This should be a no-brainer.
3. Raisel Iglesias, relief pitcher
This might be a strange pick, but hear me out. I'm well aware that Raisel Iglesias had a down year. In fact, it went so poorly that the Atlanta Braves couldn't even find a worthwhile trade offer for him when they were selling at the trade deadline. With that being said, he finished strongly and can provide the Yankees with something they desperately need: command.
The Yankees did not throw enough strikes, particularly in their bullpen. Their relievers issued 3.76 walks per nine, the ninth-worst mark in the majors and the second-worst mark among playoff teams. That is not good enough. They need relievers who can throw more strikes, and Iglesias can do just that. Iglesias' 6.4 percent walk rate placed him in the 76th percentile per Baseball Savant this past season.
Not only can he throw strikes, but he finished the year pitching like the Iglesias who was one of the game's best relievers entering the season. He allowed a total of one run on 11 hits in 26.2 innings covering his final 27 appearances of the year, 24 of which occurred post-deadline. He struck out 27 batters while issuing only six free passes. He won the NL's Reliever of the Month award in August and did not allow a single run in September.
He might not have quite as good of stuff as Devin Williams, but Williams had a 9.7 percent walk rate and was maddeningly inconsistent in his year in the Bronx. It might be a hot take, but I think their bullpen would be better with Iglesias in it than it was with Williams.
2. Cody Bellinger, outfielder
This one's tough. Cody Bellinger has a player option he's likely going to reject, putting the Yankees in quite a pickle. They'd probably prefer not to give him a long-term deal, but the year he had and his track record would likely command one. It might not age well, but the Yankees should strongly consider bringing Bellinger back.
I get it, the postseason was a rough one for him. He had just six hits in 28 at-bats (.214 BA) overall, and he went 3-for-16 in the ALDS. However, what he did in the regular season just can't be overlooked. He brought elite defense to all three outfield spots, ran the bases well, hit for power, got on base, and even made it clear that he'd like to return to the Bronx.
Re-signing Bellinger probably won't happen if the Yankees win the Tucker sweepstakes, but it's not as if this organization can't bring him back even if they get Tucker. What's the alternative if they let Bellinger walk? An unproven Jasson Dominguez? An inexperienced Spencer Jones? A Trent Grisham reunion? If they let Bellinger go and don't sign Tucker, then they'll have to rely on two of those options. Bellinger was a perfect fit, and is not a player they should let land elsewhere.
1. Bo Bichette, shortstop
This is easily the most unrealistic name on here. The Yankees, for whatever reason, believe Anthony Volpe is the guy at shortstop, so it's unlikely they pursue an upgrade, and I have no idea if they're going to spend what it'd take to land Bo Bichette, but they should. Bichette is a poor defender at shortstop, and the Yankees can ill-afford more poor defenders, but his bat is also exactly what this lineup needs at the top of the order.
The only right-handed bats that scared the opposition this season were Judge and Giancarlo Stanton - Bichette would add a third. He also hit .311 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI during the regular season, and he hit a whopping .381 with runners in scoring position. Bichette was tied for second in the majors in hits despite missing most of September with an injury, and he's had at least 175 hits in four of his last five seasons. In fact, he led the AL in hits in both 2021 and 2022.
Again, his defense is a major concern, but all this man does is absolutely rake. He's even gone six for his last 16 in the postseason after beginning his October career going 0-for-6. Plugging him and his clutchness into this lineup that needs another right-handed bat would go a long way. The defense will come back to bite the Yankees at times, but the offense is the reason why the Yankees go home early every October. Why not try and steal one of the best offensive shortstops in the league from the team that just eliminated them?