The New York Yankees didn’t change very much after a strong regular season ended in a playoff disappointment and a significant step back in World Series contention.
One year after reaching the Fall Classic, the Yankees were eliminated by their division rival Toronto Blue Jays in an American League Division Series. And for some fans, that might have called for a significant roster overhaul. But instead, the Yankees are bringing back virtually the same roster and hoping that some better health can take them further next season.
“The 2025 Yankees won 94 games in 2025 and advanced to the ALDS, but there they were eliminated by the eventual AL champion Blue Jays,” Matt Snyder wrote for CBS Sports. “This offseason, the Yankees have mostly tinkered at the margins of the roster while bringing back Trent Grisham (via the qualifying offer) and Cody Bellinger (on a five-year deal) while otherwise making seemingly minor additions like lefty starter Ryan Weathers.”
If players like Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon can come back from injury healthy and effective, while Aaron Judge continues to produce at an MVP level and younger pieces like Ben Rice continue to develop, the Yankees’ belief that they can win it all next season will be well founded.
New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton Turns Heads With Harsh Injury Update
But a lot of that hope rests on one veteran slugger who has now indicated he won’t be back to full health next season.
“I can’t open a bottle,” Giancarlo Stanton told NJ.com’s Randy Miller. “I can’t open a bag of chips … a bag of anything. That’s the way it is.”
Stanton missed much of last season due to tennis elbow issues in both arms, appearing in just 77 games. However, he slashed an impressive .273/.350/.594 when he did play, reminding Yankees fans of just how potent his bat can be when he is feeling right.
Stanton has yet to appear in a Spring Training game as the team monitors his health. He told Miller that his goal is to play a full season, but given his lingering elbow issues, it might seem like a surgery to clear his elbow tendons and solve the problem for good would be the best route.
New York Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton Takes Elbow Surgery Off The Table
But when asked about undergoing elbow surgery to address the chronic problem, Stanton responded that it was not a viable option for him given his profession.
“You get the surgery and you can go back to being in the general population in a few months, but my job is to put some of the most force into a batted ball,” Stanton told Miller. “That’s not going to be fixed in surgery, and I don’t care what any doctor says because they don’t know what’s going on.”
Stanton was defiant that, because of his need to regularly hit baseballs as hard as humanly possible, offseason elbow surgery would not be a viable option for him. Instead, he will have to manage his pain as best he can and hope to produce a full season of at-bats for the Yankees as his elbow problems persist.