The Yankees’ offseason is still in its infancy. Trades and free agency can bring about change. Not every incumbent player on the roster will survive the winter.
Consider those caveats applicable to everything you’ll read below, as Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman shared several thoughts on the Yankees’ current players during their postmortem press conference at Yankee Stadium on Thursday.
Anthony Volpe, his surgically repaired left shoulder, and his standing as the team’s starting shortstop hogged the majority of the hour-plus presser. Boone and Cashman remain believers in the 24-year-old despite three seasons of subpar offensive performance, but they offered some caveats of their own when discussing the shortstop position.
“I think so,” Cashman said when asked if Volpe will be his starter once healthy. “I believe in the player still. I think we believe in the player. It doesn’t mean that we don’t play with, on any level, all aspects of roster assessments.”
With Volpe not expected back until April or May, José Caballero is the in-house favorite to fill in at short. Volpe’s injury could also open a roster spot for the 26-year-old Oswaldo Cabrera.
Volpe wasn’t the only Yankees youngster who came up during Thursday’s press conference, though. Here’s a look at what Boone and Cashman had to say about a few others and the team’s present positional outlook.
JASSON DOMINGUEZ
Domínguez, 22, is coming off a quiet first full season in the big leagues. He rarely started by year’s end, as Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge dominated the available playing time in the outfield. However, Domínguez adjusted well to his bench role despite his status as a hyped-up prospect, improving as a base-stealer and impressing Boone as a teammate.
Asked if he sees Domínguez as an everyday player in 2026, Boone said he expects him to be “right in that mix” and “a regular player for us.” Of course, if the Yankees re-sign Bellinger — Cashman said he’d “love” to have him back but expects him to opt out — or Grisham or add another outfielder, Domínguez could become expendable.
For now, Boone said the organization’s hope is that Domínguez plays winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The manager added that he sees The Martian as a left fielder, even though he’s struggled there and is a natural center fielder.
That indicates the Yankees don’t trust Domínguez in the middle of the outfield with two capable center fielders set for free agency.
SPENCER JONES
Perhaps Spencer Jones will be an option for the Yankees in center, as Cashman said the top-100 prospect has “put himself in the conversation” for the Opening Day roster.
“He’s earned, without a doubt, the look in the competition, but again, it all depends on how many opportunities exist based on the decisions that come out of this winter,” the general manager continued. “But he’s put himself in a position to be considered a potential everyday major leaguer in 2026.”
Jones is coming off a stellar season, as the 24-year-old crushed 35 home runs while hitting .274 with a .932 OPS, 80 RBI and 29 stolen bases. He began the season at Double-A — he repeated the level after a disappointing 2024 campaign — before earning a promotion to Triple-A.
Despite some impressive stats, relying on Jones so soon would come with risks. He still struck out too much in 2025, doing so at 35.4% clip. His 72% zone contact rate would have been the worst in the majors.
BEN RICE
Ben Rice, 26, filled a unique utility role in 2025, primarily DH’ing while occasionally playing first base at the start of the season. By the end of the year, he was catching meaningful games down the stretch.
Brought up as a backstop, the hard-hitting Rice is well-positioned to be the Yankees’ first baseman of the future. Boone said he sees him as the club’s first baseman next year, but that doesn’t mean Rice will abandon catching behind Austin Wells and, potentially, another backup.
“Does he become our first baseman and our third catcher? Is he our second catcher? I don’t know yet,” Boone said, “but I know we feel like we’ve got a true middle-of-the-order bad that’s also capable of catching.
“That flexibility is important and helpful and of value.”
The Yankees did carry three catchers at times in 2025, with J.C. Escarra joining Wells and Rice. The problem was all three hit from the left side.
Also, don’t be surprised if the Yankees bring in a defensively sound, right-handed veteran as an alternative to Rice at first. They had one in Paul Goldschmidt this past season, but the aging, former MVP is slated for free agency.
RYAN MCMAHON
Ryan McMahon isn’t a youngster at 30 — not in a baseball sense, anyway — but he was also mentioned during Cashman’s portion of the presser.
Asked if the Yankees are set at the hot corner or if he would rather have a platoon at the position, Cashman called McMahon “our everyday third baseman.” However, Cashman added that he wants to provide Boone with options that allow him to mix and match, an approach that worked out well for the division-winning Blue Jays.
A defensive wizard and a poor hitter, the lefty-swinging McMahon was acquired midseason. So was Amed Rosario, a right-handed hitter who can play third but is a subpar defender.
Rosario will be a free agent, too. The Yankees tried to acquire him prior to successfully doing so this season, so it wouldn’t be a shock if they bring him back given the fit.
THE ROTATION
Volpe’s injury wasn’t the only one discussed Thursday, as Boone revealed that southpaw Carlos Rodón underwent a left elbow scope on Wednesday. The procedure removed some loose bodies and will force Rodón to miss the first few weeks of the 2026 season.
Cashman said he didn’t know yet if Rodón’s injury will prompt him to add an external pitcher, but he did note, “I have to make sure there’s room on that roster when he” returns. That comment could point to an optionable, internal pitcher, such as top-100 prospect Elmer-Rodriguez Cruz, though the 22-year-old has only made one start at Triple-A.
However, Will Warren is already an optionable member of the team’s rotation, so the Yankees would have choices if they found an external fill-in for Rodón. Tougher choices could come later in the season with Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt expected back from Tommy John surgery, but as Cashman always says — and repeated on Thursday — you can never have enough pitching.
