Aaron Judge spent much of the winter watching and waiting. The Yankees captain wasn’t shy about his frustration during Monday’s first full-squad workout in Tampa, admitting the team’s slow offseason was “brutal” as AL East rivals loaded up around them.
“Early on, it was pretty tough to watch,” Judge told reporters. “I’m like, ‘Man, we’re the New York Yankees. Let’s go out there and get the right people, get the right pieces to go out there and finish this thing off.'”
Asked if he made his feelings known to the front office, Judge flashed a grin. “Yeah. Oh, yeah.”
Concerns Are Real for ‘Run It Back’ Yankees
The Yankees won 94 games in 2025 and still lost the AL East to Toronto on a tiebreaker. Their postseason ended quickly, eliminated by the Blue Jays in a four-game ALDS. For a franchise measuring success exclusively by championships, that result demanded action.
What the Yankees got instead was a roster that looks remarkably similar to last October’s. The Cody Bellinger re-signing anchored the winter, a five-year, $162.5 million deal that kept the former MVP in left field. Beyond that, Brian Cashman retained Trent Grisham on the $22.025 million qualifying offer and brought back Paul Goldschmidt on a one-year, $4 million contract.
Meanwhile, Judge watched the division get stronger. Toronto added Dylan Cease. Boston bolstered its roster significantly, signing Ranger Suárez and trading for Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray. Pete Alonso signed with Baltimore. The Dodgers, fresh off back-to-back championships, dropped $309 million on Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker.
“I’m seeing other teams around the league get better,” Judge said. “They’re making trades. They’re signing big players. And we were sitting there for a while making smaller moves.”
The rotation is the obvious concern. Gerrit Cole missed all of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected back until late May or early June. Carlos Rodón had loose bodies removed from his elbow in October and projects to return around late April. Clarke Schmidt won’t pitch until the second half after his own elbow surgery. That leaves Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren, and newly acquired Ryan Weathers to hold down the fort.
Weathers, acquired from Miami in January for a four-prospect package, provides depth but carries his own durability questions. He’s never made more than 18 starts in a season and pitched just 38 innings in 2025 due to injuries.
Judge insists he’s now comfortable with where the roster stands. Bellinger is back. Goldschmidt provides veteran presence. The band is largely together.
“I love it,” Judge said. “People might have their opinions on it because we didn’t win it all last year. We fell short in the Division Series, but we get a chance to bring a lot of those guys back.”
Carlos Lagrange’s Triple-Digit Audition Steals the Show
The most electric moment of Monday’s workout had nothing to do with the offseason discourse. It came during live batting practice, when 22-year-old pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange stepped onto a mound and faced the middle of the Yankees order.
Lagrange, ranked No. 79 overall by MLB Pipeline and the organization’s top pitching prospect, didn’t flinch. Across three simulated innings, the 6-7 right-hander from the Dominican Republic touched 102.6 mph on his fastball and struck out Judge on three pitches.
Judge had gotten the better of an earlier exchange, launching a 99.3 mph heater over the left-field wall. But Lagrange came right back at him.
“He’s going to be special,” Judge said afterward. “You can look up at the radar and see 103 mph, but I think it’s also just the presence he has on the mound. We sent up a nasty lineup against him today, and he didn’t care. He wanted to be out there and he came right after us. That’s what you need.”
Lagrange threw 49 pitches and also struck out Bellinger with a changeup. Manager Aaron Boone compared him to Dellin Betances, another towering right-hander with big velocity who spent years dominating in the Yankees bullpen.
Signed for just $10,000 in 2022, Lagrange has emerged as a lottery ticket that could pay off sooner than expected. He went 11-8 with a 3.53 ERA across High-A and Double-A last season, striking out 168 batters in 120 innings. The walk rate needs work, but when the fastball reaches triple digits with late life, the margin for error expands.
If the rotation needs a bridge arm while Cole and Rodón work their way back, Lagrange could be the answer.
Jasson Domínguez’s Path Forward Remains Unclear
There’s also the Jasson Domínguez question. Cashman suggested Friday that the 23-year-old outfielder, once the organization’s crown jewel prospect, could start the season at Triple-A given the crowded outfield.
“I would concede it’s in his best interest to be getting everyday reps,” Cashman said.
Domínguez slashed .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs last season but saw his playing time crater once Grisham emerged as a breakout center fielder. With Bellinger, Grisham, and Judge locked in as the starting outfield, there’s no obvious path to at-bats.
The Yankees are betting that continuity and health will be enough. Cole returning at full strength would transform the rotation. Rodón getting back to his 2025 All-Star form would make the staff one of baseball’s best. But those are projections, not guarantees.
Judge has been watching long enough to know the difference.