3 priorities for the Yankees in free agency
Jasson Dominguez of the Yankees looks on before a game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 11. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The conclusion of every season’s World Series officially kicks off MLB's offseason, the main event being the annual flood of free agents hitting the market.
There is a five-day quiet period after the World Series ends — this year, that occurred early on Sunday morning when the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays in 11 innings in Game 7 — in which only a player’s former team can negotiate with him. Other teams cannot make any offers to those free agents during that time. On the fifth day after the World Series, all free agents are eligible to sign with any MLB team.
With free agency set to begin, here are the Yankees’ top three priorities:
Re-sign Cody Bellinger
The outfielder, acquired from the Cubs via trade last Dec. 17 and a star performer pretty much all season in his first year in the Bronx, opted out of the final year of his deal, as had been expected. Bellinger, 30, will not lack for suitors, and at the head of the list will be the Yankees, for whom the lefthanded hitter turned out to be a perfect fit. Bellinger hit 29 home runs and drove in 98 runs in 152 games, exceeding his production with the Cubs in 2024. He starred in the field, too, excelling at multiple positions. As general manager Brian Cashman put it during the season: “Hell of a ballplayer.” Still, a reunion is far from guaranteed. Because of the year Bellinger had, there will be plenty of competition for his services, and the Yankees could simply be outbid. Kyle Tucker, whom the Yankees tried to obtain via trade last offseason, is a free agent and could be in play. Again, though, like Bellinger, he won’t come cheap.
Address the bullpen
Among the best units in the sport the first 2 1/2 months of the season, the Yankees’ bullpen was a roller-coaster ride the rest of the way, even after Cashman added three arms before the trade deadline. Among the relievers from the group due to hit the market: Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn. Williams, a headline acquisition last offseason, mostly struggled and is all but certain to be a one-and-done Yankee. Weaver, among baseball's best bargains last year, struggled in the second half but still will be an attractive option for rival teams. The Yankees generally haven’t spent big on relievers (Aroldis Chapman is one notable exception), so the safe bet is on Weaver pitching elsewhere in 2026.
Figure out what they have in Jasson Dominguez
One of the most hyped organizational prospects of the last 20 years became an afterthought in 2025. The reasons were myriad — from Dominguez’s difficulty adjusting to leftfield to the performances of Bellinger and Trent Grisham. Grisham, a free agent, isn’t likely to be back and nothing is assured with Bellinger’s free agency. Dominguez, who won't turn 23 until Feb. 7, will play winter ball in the Dominican Republic. That will be the start of a critical offseason for the outfielder, whose name is certain to come up in various trade scenarios.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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