7 moves the Yankees can make this offseason to get their mystique and aura back

The New York Yankees should be humiliated. It's not just that they got eliminated by the Tampa Bay Rays that should have them burning up, because Tampa is a very good baseball team. Instead, it's the totality of their failures over the past two decades that should have everyone involved with the organization enraged.

The Yankees are no longer the most-hated team in the league. While they held that title for most of their life as a franchise, they've been surpassed in the pantheon of evil by the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, as Junior Caminero and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. proved over the past two seasons, they still have a target on their back.

If everyone is still going to be gunning for the Yankees in this manner, they might as well return to their roots as the "Evil Empire" and actually earn the ire of the 29 other MLB franchises and their fans.

Aaron Judge basically pleaded with Brian Cashman and the front office to go out and embrace a no-holds-barred approach to this offseason to return the Bronx Bombers' glory.

"We're the Yankees. I feel like they [the front office] should go all-in and do what they need to do. If we've got holes, if it's finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, you've got to go out there and get it," Judge told reporters following elimination.

To that end, let's take a look at what an offseason that restores the pinstripes' mystique and satisfies the ghosts of Monument Park might look like.

These seven offseason moves can have the Yankees restoring their past aura as Brian Cashman goes nuclear

Sign Tarik Skubal

Yes, the rotation wasn't New York's problem this season. No, Tarik Skubal isn't a necessity. None of that actually matters. If we're talking about them getting their mojo back, that means landing free agency's biggest fish.

On top of that, there were some cracks exposed in Gerrit Cole's armor. Max Fried and Carlos Rodón both missed time with injuries and are only getting older. Ryan Weather and Will Warren are good, but neither is an ace. Signing Skubal provides necessary insurance. It also sets up a situation that the Yankees can exploit, which we will discuss a little later.

Sign Seiya Suzuki

Adding a right fielder when you already have a three-time MVP in right field might seem strange, but after Aaron Judge's injury-plagued 2026, New York needs to find a way to better protect its foundational superstar. If that means more DH days for Judge, or even a potential part-time transition to first base, so be it.

Heliot Ramos is not the solution to this problem. He got just three postseason at-bats and struck out twice. Seiya Suzuki, on the other hand, could be. The 32-year-old is a solid all-around hitter, batting .270/.368/.473 with 26 homers while playing shockingly good defense in right field. Plus, he knows how to handle a samurai sword.

Sign Tyler Stephenson

We're constructing a best-case scenario offseason, and while Ryan Jeffers was seemingly the Yankees' preferred trade target at catcher before he got pulled off the market, if we're signing Skubal and Suzuki, it's hard to see them spend big on the top-of-the-market option in Jeffers, if we're being realistic.

The thing is, Tyler Stephenson will come much cheaper, but might not be that far off from Jeffers. Entering 2026, Stephenson had a career wRC+ akin to Jeffers'108 mark. Jeffers is coming off a career year in 2026, posting a 128 wRC+ this year that will get him paid big time. Stephenson got off to a slow start this season, but from June 1 through season's end, he hit .263/.336/.444, and he'll cost a fraction of the price. He's now at a career 105 wRC+ after a slightly below-average 2026.

Sign Adrian Morejon

The Yankees bullpen has long lacked velocity and top-end strikeout stuff, so why not add a lefty with a 100 mile-per-hour sinker to the mix? Over the last three seasons, Morejon leads all relievers with 223 1/3 innings pitched. He's posted a 19th-ranked 2.58 ERA over that same time period.

Having him lock down the eighth inning would go a long way and help New York build a dominant bullpen, like the kind that often carried them through their title years.

Re-sign David Bednar

On the bullpen front, having a proven, high-end closer is important. One that you know can handle New York (looking at you, Devin Williams) is paramount. David Bednar checks these boxes, and he's earned his way back to the Bronx.

Trade for Josh Jung

The Yankees simply cannot go into 2027 with Ryan McMahon as the starting third baseman. His bat has devolved to the point that he's a near automatic out, and his glove fell off to the point that he can no longer be considered a high-end defender.

The problem with replacing him is twofold. For one, he costs $16 million, meaning the appetite to add another large salary at the position is small. Secondly, the free-agent market at third base is shallower than a puddle. But the trade market could have a solution.

Enter Josh Jung. Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young has said that his top priorities are getting younger, healthier, and more athletic. Jung has a bit of a checkered injury history, but more importantly, he could be squeezed out by the defensively superior Ezequiel Duran and top prospect Sebastian Walcott.

With that said, Jung checks a lot of boxes for the Yankees. Entering his second year of arbitration, he's projected to make an affordable $5.2 million and won't hit free agency until after the 2028 season. More importantly, he's a balanced right-handed bat who hit .299/.365/.462 in 2026. New York needs more contact-oriented hitters, so Jung could be a solution there. Remember the pitching surplus that the signing of Skubal created in our hypothetical? Well, the Rangers could use one of those young arms.

Cut the fat from the roster

At a certain point, roster spots have more value than some of the players who hold them. That's specifically the case in two big money examples. With the logjam created by Ben Rice, Luis Garcia Jr., Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, New York needs to find a way to drop a player so that their best three bats can always play. Stanton's contract gives them that out.

2027 is the final year of Stanton's contract. He will also be owed $10 million for the buyout of his 2028 option, but the Yankees are getting some money from the Marlins to cover that. It's time to let the big man ride off into the sunset.

While we have the Yankees trading for Jung, they can also cut Ryan McMahon, whose deal also expires at the end of next season. Eating $16 million is never fun, but the Yankees have done this before. They need to do it again. These two players have little utility, and those roster spots would be better reserved for depth players who have an elite skill or bring with them a certain level of versatility.

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