After re-signing Cody Bellinger, the New York Yankees are confident they have a team that can contend for a title, with GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone pointing to the organization's acquisitions last summer and this winter.
"We added a lot of weapons at the deadline and they're all finding their proper slots and how to be utilized and deployed," Cashman said during a Wednesday video call to announce the Bellinger signing. "And also [experiencing] the growing pains of competing in the New York arena and exposure to postseason baseball.
"I've been openly willing to challenge anybody that we don't have a championship-caliber roster or team. It's our job to find ways to make it better along the way."
The Yankees signed Bellinger to a five-year, $162 million contract last week. He'll rejoin teammates Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario, David Bednar and Camilo Doval, all of whom finished the 2025 season with the Yankees after being acquired over the summer.
Combined with the eventual return of injured star pitcher Gerrit Cole, the team feels like it's primed for a big season.
"I feel really good with that," Bellinger said of the returning roster. "Obviously, it might not be what everyone wants to hear, but I do love the group that we had. We had a special unit. We had great chemistry that I don't think can be understood unless inside the clubhouse.
"We all play for each other. On top of that, we have some important pieces coming back. I'm excited to run it back with those guys."
When including those July acquisitions, Cashman pushed back on the notion the Yankees are indeed running it back with the same group. Their roster looks similar to how last season ended, but not necessarily to how it started. Bellinger's return deepens the roster, especially considering his ability to play first base and the outfield.
Boone acknowledged there will be more competition for players like Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez, along with the holdovers who came on board last summer.
"We're going into the season with a lot of those guys in place, so I feel like our roster flexibility is better," Boone said. "It's no guarantee, but I'm really excited to go to battle with this group. We have a chance to be really good."
Despite losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series, the Yankees chose a path of roster consistency over wholesale changes, pointing to some common thinking when it comes to the postseason: It's often a crapshoot.
"One series, make or break, is not going to define what we think our capabilities are," Cashman said. "Postseason baseball, you have to bring your best baseball every series, and if you don't, you're going home. It doesn't mean we're not capable of great things. We just didn't get the job done against the Blue Jays."
Boone added: "We got beat up in the division round. That doesn't mean it won't go our way the next time. We think we're really good."
Bellinger said Wednesday he won't play in the World Baseball Classic, preferring to attend spring training to concentrate on getting ready for the regular season. That can't be a bad thing for a Yankees team seeking its first World Series title since 2009.
"It's going to be a different mix, a different feel -- it's a different year and we're looking for a different result -- meaning a better result," Cashman said. "Stay tuned and see where it takes us."
