There's a sense in New York, among fans, pundits and beat writers, that the Yankees, facing a ticking clock on the primes of stars Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole, have a different pep in their step this season. And not just on the field, but off of it as well. The Yankees' brain trust of Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone have already made some major headlines on the transactions page, whether it was the demotions of 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil and former top prospect Anthony Volpe, or the benching of third baseman Ryan McMahon.
Heck, even the players have noticed management's business-like approach.
“We’ve got a good ballclub, so it’s good to be urgent,” Judge said following Volpe's demotion. “Us as players, we’re up there fighting for our lives every single day. We’re trying to win every single game. So to see it from the management side, where it’s like, ‘Hey, we’re not going to mess around here with some moves, we’re going to do what’s best for the team,’ you appreciate seeing that as a player.”
So while there is a sense of increased urgency behind some of these roster moves, others simply reflect an increase in depth at a certain position that perhaps didn't exist in prior years.
So let's go down the list of some of these moves and examine whether they reflect Yankees' urgency or depth.
Making Ben Rice the full-time first baseman
Rice, who is currently day-to-day with a hand injury, has since ceded more starts to veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Earlier in the season, that was more of a frequent trend even with Rice healthy, as the Yankees sat the lefty-swinging Rice against southpaws to play the platoon matchup with Goldschmidt, a former National League MVP.
It was an unpopular decision, particularly within the context that the Yankees' lineup at the time was underachieving, and Rice has been among the best hitters in the league to start the season.
After a period of time in which Rice sat four out of five games against a lefthander, Boone was asked if he views the slugger, who owns the highest OPS in all of baseball, as a platoon player.
“Hell no,” was the Yankees manager's blunt response.
And to Boone's credit, Rice has been utilized more like an everyday player since—and he's rewarded the Yankees' faith by clubbing five of his 12 home runs against lefties. In fact, Rice has been the second-best hitter against southpaws in all of MLB. Despite having—and making use of—clear depth behind Rice in the form of Goldschmidt, one of the best hitters against lefties in recent years, the Yankees recognized that Rice is a burgeoning star, arguably their best hitter and someone who simply needed to be in the lineup.
Verdict: Urgency
Optioning Jake Bird to Triple-A
The Yankees last year showed they weren't afraid to make a business-like move when it concerned Bird, as they had optioned him to the minors five days after acquiring him at last year's trade deadline on the heels of surrendering seven earned runs in his first two appearances with the club.
Bird seemed to put his 2025 struggles behind him at the start of the 2026 season, working scoreless frames in his first four appearances of the year. The good times didn't last long though, as Bird allowed three earned runs and blew a save in an April 5 loss to the Marlins, then blew another save, serving up a three-run homer to Mike Trout in the process in an April 13 eventual win over the Angels.
Just a day later, the Yankees had optioned Bird to the team's Triple A affiliate, a clear sign that his performance wasn't cutting it for the Yankees. And while Bird went on to rejoin the big club later that month when starter Ryan Weathers went on the paternity list, it still didn't diminish the sense of urgency Bird's initial demotion created.
Verdict: Urgency
Benching Ryan McMahon
McMahon, one of last year's trade deadline acquisitions, was mostly imported for his glove, not his bat. And while the Yankees have remained optimistic that they can find another gear out of McMahon as a hitter, it hasn't exactly played out that way so far in 2026. McMahon has produced a 79 wRC+, which would rank among the 40 worst qualified hitters in the game.
So, during a particularly abysmal stretch in which the veteran third baseman began the season 5-for-42, the Yankees opted to bench McMahon for a period of five games in six days against the Royals and Red Sox.
And while McMahon's benching undoubtedly was tied to his poor start to the season, it also spoke to just how well fellow infielder/platoon third baseman Amed Rosario was swinging the bat. Rosario has produced a 126 OPS+ in 21 games for New York this season, meaning he's been 26% better than a league average hitter. The move may also have been tied to the fact that the Yankees at the time were scheduled to face four left-handed pitchers against Kansas City and Boston, traditionally matchups in which McMahon has sat for.
When the Yankees acquired Rosario at last year's deadline, they did so knowing that he would spell McMahon, particularly against southpaws. So while his benching may have smelled urgent, it was more of a classic case of leaning on roster depth and playing the matchups.
Verdict: Depth
Demoting Luis Gil to Triple A
It was pretty jarring to see Gil, the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year whom the Yankees refused to include in any trade discussions with the Astros for outfielder Kyle Tucker two years ago, sent down to Triple A.
But perhaps the move was, in a sense, overshadowed by the way the Yankees began the season. With a string of days off in the early parts of the season, New York opted to go with a four-man rotation, and Gil started the year in Triple A.
When Gil was called up on April 10, he rejoined a Yankees rotation that had been humming along to the tune of the majors' best ERA (2.40), led by ace Max Fried, standout sophomore Cam Schlittler, the steady Will Warren and winter trade acquisition Ryan Weathers.
While the Yankees clearly wanted Gil to perform well, to say that the Yankees needed Gil to perform well would have been a false statement. That is perhaps why New York was quick to demote Gil after he walked 11 batters in 19 1/3 innings while pitching to a 6.05 ERA.
Simply put, New York's deep rotation had proven that they could more than hold down the fort on a four-man rotation. And with the knowledge that ace starters Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole would soon be returning from injury, the Yankees knew they could afford to get by without Gil.
While the subsequent call-up of Elmer Rodríguez may have signaled some urgency on the part of the front office (or perhaps a showcase for a potential deadline deal?), this one largely smelled like a move the Yankees felt they could make on the strength of the deepest rotation they've had in years.
Verdict: Depth
Promoting George Lombard Jr. to Triple A
After he scuffled a bit at the plate in 108 games for the Yankees' Double A affiliate last year, even the most optimistic of forecasts would have all but ruled out Lombard contributing for New York at any point in 2026.
But after the Yankees fast-tracked Lombard to Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on the heels of a fast start at Somerset (.971 OPS in 20 games), that is suddenly a possibility. It's not hard to see why the Yankees are operating with some gravity when it comes to Lombard. For starters, the 21-year-old is supremely talented.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman in November told reporters Lombard, a natural shortstop who has seen time at third base, could handle himself defensively in the majors right now. Plus, with burgeoning power, as well as sound plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills, Lombard's hitting profile projects to be a plus at the next level as well.
That said, what may be forcing the Yankees' hand just a bit with Lombard is the relative long-term uncertainty in the club's infield. Once the shortstop of the future, Anthony Volpe has struggled to prove he's a viable big-league option over the last three years, and is currently a teammate of Lombard's in Triple A after the Yankees opted not to call him up to the majors following his rehab assignment. Second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. will be a free agent after this season, and there's no guarantee he'll be donning pinstripes for the foreseeable future. And third baseman Ryan McMahon, despite being under club control through 2028 and boasting elite defensive skills, has been a below-average hitter since being acquired by the Yankees at last year's deadline.
With so much uncertainty at the big-league level, there's a very good chance Lombard will be counted upon in the majors as soon as 2027. It's in the Yankees' best interest to get the youngster as many reps as possible at the highest level in the minors.
And who knows? He may be needed in the Bronx sooner than the Yankees think.
Verdict: Urgency
Designating Randal Grichuk for assignment
Grichuk, a non-roster invite who was making $2.5 million after earning a spot on the Yankees' Opening Day roster, was brought in by the club for his defensive skills in the outfield and ability to hit left-handed pitching, two areas where former top prospect and outfielder Jasson Dominguez struggled mightily during his most extended run yet in the majors in 2025.
However, Grichuk only logged 31 at-bats for the Yankees, scuffling to a .535 OPS and 30.3% strikeout rate before he ended up on the chopping block. New York designated Grichuk for assignment on April 29, just a few days after Gil's demotion and a day after slugger Giancarlo Stanton was placed on the IL due to a right calf strain.
While the move smelled like an urgent one, particularly given the way New York has rode struggling hitters in the past, the decision was more rooted in the surplus of MLB-ready outfielders New York possesses, with Dominguez at the front of the line. Grichuk wasn't making as much money as the Josh Donaldsons, Aaron Hickses and DJ LeMahieus of the past, meaning it was far easier to cut bait with him.
Plus, Dominguez, who has endured many bumps in the road toward the majors, seemingly finally had a lane to extended playing time. The Yankees decided they were better off giving the lion's share of the at-bats to one of their most heralded prospects rather than a non-roster invite.
Verdict: Depth
Anthony Volpe being optioned to Triple A
The Yankees, who were staunch defenders of Volpe during his 2025 struggles through what was later revealed to be a partially torn labrum, surprised many when they decided to option Volpe to Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when his rehab stint concluded.
Just weeks before the decision and Volpe's rehab assignment, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had this to say when asked if Volpe would retain the starting shortstop job upon proving his health.
“That’s always been the plan,” Cashman said. “But ultimately that’ll be the manager’s call.”
Over the ensuing weeks, as starting shortstop José Caballero began to heat up at the plate, Yankees manager Aaron Boone began to subtly telegraph a potential changing of the plan before ultimately making the call to ride Caballero and allow Volpe to pick up some added reps at Triple A while making sure his shoulder is fully healthy.
The acquisition of Caballero at last year's trade deadline seemed to be a silent admission from Yankees brass that they needed more depth at short, particularly with the move juxtaposed against Volpe's struggles. Caballero's strong play down the stretch of a divisional race in 2025 and to begin 2026 provided the Yankees with a clear pivot option at short, something they didn't have in prior years.
For the verdict here, we'll let Cashman, who explained the Volpe decision to the New York Post, have the final say.
“We're paid to make very difficult decisions,” Cashman said. “I think this year's New York Yankee team is a lot deeper. We have a lot more choices. And Caballero has emerged with his play. And so we kind of had to honor that...”
Verdict: Depth
Spencer Jones's promotion
In a twist of cruel irony, Dominguez, looking to make an impression for his defense during a May 7 win over the Rangers, collided with the left-field wall after making a spectacular catch on the very first play of the game, suffering a low-grade sprain of his left AC joint in his shoulder as a result of the hard crash with the chain-link fencing.
Dominguez, expected to miss a few weeks, was promptly placed on the IL, which set the table for the promotion of the team's No. 6 prospect, Spencer Jones. The 6' 7" slugger was tearing it up for the club's Triple A affiliate, clubbing 11 homers and a .958 OPS while leading the International League with 41 RBIs, earning a promotion to the big club.
Much like with Grichuk being designated for assignment, Dominguez's injury came at a position of strength, one the Yankees had the luxury of fortifying with Jones, who has proven he's ready for the majors by posting a .917 OPS in 100 games at the minors' highest level.
While one can quibble about whether Jones's promotion is also a silent audition of sorts to other clubs regarding his potential trade value, it's clear that the Yankees' primary motivators for the move were the next-man-up mentality and the chance to see for their own eyes how the hulking slugger fares against big-league pitching.
Verdict: Depth
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Urgency or Depth? Analyzing the Yankees' Recent Roster Decisions.
