ORLANDO, Fla. – In Aaron Boone’s opinion, the 2025 Yankees had the most talented roster he has guided during his eight-year tenure as a big league manager. That’s particularly notable, considering they were the follow-up to a club that won the American League pennant.
It's also what made the ending sting so much after the Yankees' elimination in the AL Division Series, coming at the hands of the Blue Jays, a team they never solved. Yet Boone insists the gap between New York and Toronto is more narrow than many believe.
“We ended with identical records last year. I don’t want to discount that they kicked our [tails] last year; like, don’t take it out of context,” Boone said Monday at the Winter Meetings. “They obviously were a great team last year, and an eyelash away from winning a world championship. They certainly proved to be the better team this year, and hopefully, we can close that gap.”
As he rose from his seat inside a ballroom at the Signia by Hilton Orlando, Boone recognized how that might sound, quietly joking about a potential headline: “Boone thinks they’re better!”
Yet as general manager Brian Cashman outlined late Sunday, the Yankees internally believe there is not as much heavy reconstruction to do this offseason as last, when they had to scramble after Juan Soto’s departure in free agency.
Cashman said that his starting position is that “we have really good players on this roster and we are covered in most areas,” with the goal of augmenting rather than overhauling.
So far, the Yankees’ approach has centered on retaining familiar pieces. They extended a qualifying offer to outfielder Trent Grisham, exercised left-hander Tim Hill’s option and re-signed lefty Ryan Yarbrough.
Their top free-agent target is a reunion with Cody Bellinger, of whom Boone said: “Who wouldn’t want a player like that?”
Boone said he doesn’t anticipate getting involved with negotiations for Bellinger, noting that he rarely recruits players who have previously played with the team. As Boone said, “They know who we are. They know what we’re about.” Boone said he hasn’t yet recruited any outside free agents.
Both New York and Toronto won 94 games last season, with their tie atop the AL East decided by their head-to-head record.
That’s where the Blue Jays dominated, winning eight of their 13 matchups in the regular season, including a four-game sweep at Rogers Centre in July. The trend continued into an ALDS in which Boone said Toronto was “on fire against us,” scoring 34 runs to 19 for New York across the 34-inning series.
“The end of our season was frankly hard for me, because I felt like we were really good and healthy and peaking at the right time,” Boone said. “We got beat in a series against a team that we obviously struggled with last year in the Blue Jays. So it was hard, and you want to take stock in that.
“Again, you’re always trying to improve your team. But [you need to] also pause and say, ‘Hey, we’re pretty good here.’ We’ve got a lot of really good players and a lot of really good young core players that emerged on different levels last year that we need to continue to grow in their big league journey.”
Boone specifically mentioned Jasson Domínguez, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Ben Rice and Austin Wells among those who can elevate their games to new levels.
That contrasts sharply with the Blue Jays, who are in add-on mode after their thrilling postseason. They will formally introduce pitcher Dylan Cease at the Winter Meetings on Tuesday, and they have hosted outfielder Kyle Tucker – arguably the top available free agent – for a visit to their Dunedin, Fla., facility.
There is a clear temptation among Yankees executives to largely run it back, believing the return of a healthy Gerrit Cole in May or June will be a difference-maker. Cashman said he’s also investigating what he calls “challenge trades,” believing the lineup is too left-handed dominant.
“You’re always looking to get better, and that looks different every year,” Boone said. “We can always use more fortification and better players in certain areas, but I don’t know where the winter will take us.”