The Yankees' big move of the offseason -- whether that be re-signing Cody Bellinger or making an end run for Kyle Tucker, trading for Freddy Peralta or reuniting with Michael King -- may or may not be forthcoming. That said, although quiet to this point, the Yankees were quite busy just a few months ago.
We don't typically analyze Deadline deals in December; major acquisitions, often impending free agents, are usually long gone by now. That isn't the case here -- the Yankees' midseason acquisitions this year were made less in the "win now" spirit and more out of a desire to stop the bleeding. Most, as a result, remain under contract through the 2026 season.
So in light of that, we've decided to take a look back at the ones expected to suit up for the Yankees in 2026 to consider how they may be shaping the club's offseason agenda.
Ryan McMahon, 3B
Acquired July 25 from COL
The Yankees, for once, aren't on the lookout for an upgrade at third base. McMahon wasn't necessarily the immediate difference-maker they may have hoped for down the stretch, but he is under contract through 2027, and that was clearly why New York opted for him over, say, Eugenio Suárez.
It's hard to imagine McMahon, a slightly below-average left-handed hitter who under the right circumstances could be a 30-homer threat, not making decent use of Yankee Stadium given two full years. Considering that offensive potential, his consistently stellar defense at third and the state of the free-agent market, the Yankees figure to give McMahon every opportunity to make a better impression in 2026.
José Caballero, INF/OF
Acquired July 31 from TB
Caballero -- a utility infielder -- could have greater influence over the fourth outfielder decision than one would expect. In his first month in New York -- which overlapped with Aaron Judge's time spent exclusively DHing due to his right elbow flexor strain -- he often piggybacked onto Giancarlo Stanton's starts in right, usually entering as a pinch-runner and taking over in the outfield. That arrangement was short-lived, but it does suggest that the Yankees, who traded for Caballero in the days after Judge got hurt, see him as a viable option in the outfield.
Caballero, importantly, has led the American League in stolen bases in each of the last two seasons. (He led all of MLB in 2025.) It would seem a waste for a team so famously lacking in great baserunners not to play him. Does that change the calculus, then, if we are to assume that the Yankees must decide between shelling out for Tucker -- who comes with higher upside but a more concerning recent injury history -- or turning their attention solely back to Bellinger?
David Bednar, RHP
Acquired July 31 from PIT
Around his odd 2024 collapse, Bednar has consistently been one of the best relievers in baseball, and there's no compelling reason to remove him from the closer role. So … is there still a spot in the Yankees' bullpen for Luke Weaver (3.62 ERA, 113 ERA+ in 2025)? And, if so, are they all that interested in getting involved in a bidding war for their former waiver claim? This probably isn't the question keeping anyone in the front office up at night, but the bullpen they took to the postseason -- which ranked 23rd in MLB with a 4.37 regular-season ERA -- clearly wasn't up to the task.
That was hardly Bednar’s fault, though. He began his Yankees tenure with a 2.19 ERA, four wins and 10 saves in 22 regular-season appearances, then excelled in his first taste of October baseball (six innings, one run, nine K’s). Entering his contract year, Bednar should continue closing in the Bronx.
Camilo Doval, RHP
Acquired July 31 from SF
Devin Williams' brief Yankees tenure is one both parties would sooner forget, and the split was probably for the best. But there remain a few unanswered questions here. At the top of the list: how, exactly, did the Yankees manage to get such disappointing results out of such a good pitcher? It’s too late to get a do-over on that, but you could take Doval, the 28-year-old sometimes-closer with similar control issues, as an opportunity for redemption.
Doval wasn't great upon arriving in New York. Even so, it's not difficult to understand why the Giants named him their closer almost on sight -- he's a hard-throwing, extreme ground-ball pitcher who can also generate whiffs. With quite a few top-flight free agent relievers already off the board, and Doval's own track record of success as a closer in 2022-23 (2.73 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 149 ERA+, 66-for-77 in save opportunities), this may be the time to give him a shot at being Bednar's full-time setup man.
Jake Bird, RHP
Acquired July 31 from COL
Bird made three appearances with the Yankees after the trade, and in two of them, he allowed a combined seven runs while recording three total outs. At that point, he was demoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for the rest of the season. The good news is that Yankees weren't exactly sold a lemon here; Bird had been phenomenal to start the year but began struggling long before he arrived in New York.
Given that context, it's likely that in Bird the Yankees saw a candidate for quick rehabilitation -- like Clay Holmes (4.93 ERA at the time of his acquisition in 2021), Luke Weaver (career 5.14 ERA through 2023) or Tim Hill (5.87 ERA with the White Sox in 2024) -- and found that whatever had gone wrong between his first 28 appearances (1.41 ERA, 50 strikeouts in 38 1/3 IP) and his last 20 (14.82 ERA, 16 K's in 17 IP) was beyond what they could fix on the fly. The coming season will offer another opportunity, with much more runway.