Sometimes, a gambler pushes every chip to the center of the table, even when their hand isn’t quite perfect yet.
That’s exactly what the New York Yankees did this offseason — and they’re still not done dealing.
Yankees walked a financial tightrope after losing Soto
After watching Juan Soto walk away in free agency, the Yankees didn’t lick their wounds — they hit the gas pedal.
Brian Cashman pushed the payroll up to the $300 million mark, a self-imposed ceiling that many assumed would slow their midseason flexibility.
He managed to bring in Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger while improving the bullpen and filling gaping holes left behind by Soto and Gleyber Torres.
But there’s one lingering problem: they aren’t complete yet.
Key injuries left this team one piece short
Had Gerrit Cole stayed healthy, the Yankees might’ve had the most dominant rotation in the league to pair with a top offense.
Instead, they’ve been forced to lean on stopgaps like Will Warren and bounce-back candidates to eat innings behind Carlos Rodon and Max Fried.
Couple that with an infield group that features Oswald Peraza and DJ LeMahieu both struggling at the plate, and you realize the roster needs another jolt.
There’s not enough firepower to confidently navigate October without at least one more major piece.
Bad contracts and dead money are clouding the picture
The Yankees are not only up against the spending ceiling — they’re being dragged down by aging, underperforming contracts.
Giancarlo Stanton hasn’t suited up this season and is cashing $15 million checks just to rehab and stay out of sight.
That type of dead money has consequences, especially when the luxury tax starts to pile on top of each salary move.
Yet despite that, an aggressive move still feels imminent.
Insider believes Yankees will spend at deadline anyway
Andy Martino of SNY reported that the Yankees won’t let their budget hold them back if a championship is in reach.
“It’s true that the Yankees’ post-Juan Soto spree left them at the limits of their willingness to spend,” he wrote.
“But that was the offseason budget… the Yankees are always aggressive when they feel they have the chance to win.”
That aligns with how the franchise has always operated. When there’s a shot at a ring, ownership almost always steps up.
A major splash may be their only route forward
While the Yankees have survived to this point thanks to star power, timely pitching, and MVP-caliber performances, survival isn’t the goal.
October requires more than surviving — it demands dominance.
With Chisholm soon rejoining the infield and the trade market opening up in late July, it’s only a matter of time before Cashman makes his move.
The Yankees will have to focus on players in arbitration or swapping salaries, which is easier said than done.
