he New York Yankees are caught between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, the team wants to get better. On the other hand, they are in one of the toughest divisions in the MLB. Adding insult to injury, the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, and Baltimore Orioles have all made strides to improve their clubs. Now, the Yankees must act.

However, on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Yankees fans received a dose of some cold, hard truth. Jack Curry on the YES Network Hot Stove poured cold water on virtually every big name the Yankees have been linked to this winter.

Have the New York Yankees Already Made Their Biggest Move?

When the Yankees issued a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham, it drew a mixed reaction. Some liked the idea, while others felt it impacted their ability to bring back Cody Bellinger.

Now, it seems like those in the latter camp may be right.

One user shared a summary of what was said on the episode. Spoiler alert, it doesn’t paint a terribly positive picture.

“To sum up Curry and Kay,” the user wrote on X on December 3, 2025. “Bellinger might be priced out because of Grisham, plus, they have Jones and Dominguez. They (Yankees) feel their rotation is deep and might only need another arm in the 1st month of the season. They will add minor pieces in the pen (bullpen). Cabby and Waldo will be the SS to start.”

Additionally, the duo did not mention any interest from the Yankees in closer Edwin Diaz or in the likes of Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman. At the same time, teams can often sign players out of the blue. However, the lack of names that Curry and Kay didn’t connect the Yankees to should be a cause for concern.

The Yankees Are in For a Long Season in the Harsh AL East

Outside of the organizations apparent lack of serious interest in difference makers in the free agency market, the Yankees have other things to worry about.

Primarily, this arrives in the form of what their divisional rivals are doing. The Orioles brought in one of the top relief arms by signing Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million deal. According to Jeff Passan, the deal includes an opt-out after season one.

The pesky Red Sox have also made strides to improve. Their biggest splash of the winter thus far has been the acquisition of starting pitcher (and former Yankee) Sonny Gray.

Then, there is the Blue Jays. The reigning AL champs have already taken a few big swings this offseason.

Toronto has added to their rotation with the likes of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. Cease was cited as one of the best free agent pitchers available on the market. With Ponce, some believe he can be a bargain addition for the Blue Jays.

Not to mention that they are frontrunners to land one of Bo Bichette or Kyle Tucker. Buzz for the former has spiked because of a report that revealed Tucker visited a Blue Jays facility in Dunedin, Florida. The Bichette saga has brought many twists and turns, but Toronto is still at the front of the line to orchestrate a reunion.

With this kind of competition, what are the Yankees to do?

They could take this season on the chin and opt to go younger and acquire top prospects from other organizations. Or, they could surprise everyone and make a few free agency splashes that no one sees coming. Perhaps the lack of names linked is them playing their cards close to their chest.

However, if this new report is to be believed, the Yankees’ free agency dreams look all but lost.