The New York Yankees’ $330 million roster crashed out in the ALDS again, and A-Rod says the problem isn’t the manager or GM. While calls for Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman to take the blame continue to grow, Alex Rodriguez believes the real problem lies somewhere else: the roster itself. And according to A-Rod, one glaring weakness in the Yankees’ batting order could be costing them their championship dreams.
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The numbers from the first two ALDS games against the Tampa Bay Rays paint an ugly picture, with the Yankees’ third-through-seventh hitters combining to go 0-for-33. For A-Rod, that offensive black hole points to a deeper roster-construction problem, particularly the team’s persistent vulnerability in the fifth spot of the lineup.
Despite the massive payroll, the front office’s construction choices, not the spending itself, created the vulnerability.
“You’re not going to win with this roster. When you have four or five DHs in first basements, that’s an issue. When you go into an elimination game three at home and of the eight positions, you don’t know who’s going to play five with a $330 million payroll. That is scary,” Rodriguez said in a podcast via Herd w/Colin Cowherd.
“You’ve got to get players that play positions, that are elite defenders, that are elite athletes, high base YQ, tons of integrity, and that have an absolute play with their hair on fire with tremendous passion. And you just don’t see that fear there anymore. People go into Yankee Stadium, they beat us, and then they make fun of us. And if they win, they have the right to make fun of the Yankees.”
The front office stacked the roster with players who couldn’t play multiple positions, forcing Boone into rigid, predictable lineups.
They constructed a top-heavy team overflowing with players who shared identical defensive limitations.
For reference, Ben Rice and Giancarlo Stanton were the designated hitters on the team. But Rice was given different duties at times. This severely restricted defensive alignments.
Moreover, the Yankees projected an overwhelming number of left-handed bats into their core lineup, including Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, Trent Grisham, and Ryan McMahon. Opposing managers exploited the redundancy:
Six left-handed hitters meant they could deploy left-handed relievers and shut down the entire core. The redundancy forced Boone into uncomfortable, daily platoon configurations that stripped the team’s best hitters of regular rhythm.
The fifth spot became a revolving door.
When Ryan McMahon slumped to .213 with defensive errors, Boone had no reliable replacement. It forced the team to sub in Jose Caballero, shuffling the lineup stability.
The instability showed in their home record:
46-34, a .575 win percentage that fell short of championship standards.
The Los Angeles Dodgers proved how right lineup combinations can help on the field.
They ensured elite protection behind Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman with star acquisitions like Kyle Tucker. On the other hand, the Yankees were completely dependent on Aaron Judge.
When Judge was sidelined for 90+ games, the entire top-heavy offense cratered into historic slumps, losing 43 games during the stretch.
Right now, a roster overhaul is needed for the Yankees to go all in next season, despite the uncertainty around their manager.