The Yankees made their 2025 offseason strategy crystal clear: they are running it back. Instead of overhauling the roster after last year’s playoff exit, they chose continuity, keeping 24 of their 26 ALDS players in the organization. It is a bold vote of confidence in a group that already proved it can reach October. Still, bringing back nearly the same squad that was overwhelmed by the Blue Jays has naturally sparked debate about whether familiarity will lead to redemption or repeat disappointment.

While fans and insiders are side-eyeing the decision, Aaron Judge is standing firm. The captain says he believes in the core and sounds especially upbeat about keeping Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger around. Not everyone’s buying it, though. WFAN host Keith McPherson, for one, says there’s nothing to be excited about with Grisham’s return and thinks Judge is just saying the right things rather than truly feeling it.

“I’m like, clearly Trent didn’t think so. And being our leadoff hitter for another year, I was at every postseason game. I watched every postseason game. That’s not the guy I want leading off, but Judge has to be political. He has to say the right things,” McPherson shared via X.

Well, according to Aaron Judge, there’s nothing to worry about. He called Grisham the best center fielder the Yankees could have and pointed to Grisham’s breakout 2025 as proof. And to be fair, the regular season backed that up! Grisham popped a career-high 34 HRs and finished with an .811 OPS.

Yesterday, Aaron Judge openly admitted that the Yankees’ offseason was not easy to watch at first, saying, “We were kind of sitting there for a while making smaller moves. It was tough there in the beginning.” However, he explained that his confidence grew once the roster started coming together, adding, “Once we solidified getting Bellinger back, we’ve got Trent being our center fielder for another year, then we’ve got a guy like Goldy back. … I think we’re in a good spot.”

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But for McPherson, the postseason told the real story. Once October rolled around, Grisham’s bat went cold fast. In seven playoff games, he hit just .138, didn’t leave the yard once, and struck out 10 times in 29 at-bats. His strikeout rate ballooned to nearly 30 percent, and against top-tier pitching, the regular-season power just vanished!

Then there’s the defense. Last year, his defensive numbers cratered, posting career lows with minus-11 defensive runs saved and minus-3 OAA. That’s why McPherson can’t wrap his head around Judge calling him the best option in center. In his mind, Judge knows how fans are feeling and understands his role as captain. So he’s saying what he has to say to stay on the right side of the conversation.

Now, that idea clashes a bit with what Brian Cashman has been preaching. “I’ve been openly willing to challenge anybody that [says] we don’t have a championship-caliber roster and team,” Cashman said about the Yankees running it back. And he surely has the reasons.

Bellinger gives them versatility all over the field and a middle-of-the-order bat who can come through in big moments. Paul Goldschmidt brings MVP credentials and experience. Thus, on paper, the roster looks strong, just like it did last year.

Still, Aaron Judge might not be all fine with how the offseason went for the Yankees!

Aaron Judge didn’t shy away from calling out the Yankees’ offseason

While McPherson knocked Aaron Judge for being political and out of touch with reality, Judge has actually been pretty honest about how he felt watching the Yankees’ offseason unfold. Speaking Monday at the team’s spring training complex in Tampa, the captain admitted it was “brutal” at times to sit back and watch other teams make splashy moves while the Yankees stayed quiet.

That said, Judge also made it clear he thinks the front office eventually got it right. Even though the early part of the offseason was frustrating, he believes keeping the core together could be the difference this year. And yes, he also revealed that he didn’t stay silent behind the scenes. Judge said he shared his thoughts with the front office and felt they ultimately handled things the right way, adding, “They took care of business.”

So even if Judge is publicly saying all the right things about the Yankees, it still feels like a familiar situation. A franchise cornerstone who’s become the face and voice of the team, fully tied to its identity, and backing the organization as it bets on continuity paying off.