MLB commissioner Rob Manfred had said on Barstool’s Pardon My Take podcast that, “I grew up a Yankees fan. I watch a lot of Yankees games still.” But here is the irony: he might also be the reason the Yankees are stuck in one of the most frustrating off-seasons fans can remember. For someone who still keeps an eye on the Yankees, Manfred’s bigger picture agenda might be working against the Bronx Bombers.

First, let’s start with what everyone can see—the Yankees’ winter has been unusually quiet. Trent Grisham took the qualifying offer, and Pete Blackburn is back—and that’s basically it. No jaw-dropping trade, no massive free-agent splash. Even Cody Bellinger’s situation feels like it’s been stuck in neutral for weeks now.

Brian Cashman has tried to explain the why of it: thin market and the limited inventory. Basically, the big translation is that a big signing doesn’t seem close. But while they sit still, the rest of the AL East didn’t get the memo. In fact, the Blue Jays and Red Sox have gone shopping big time. If you, as a Yankee fan, are confused—what’s the matter?—well, former Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier has the answer.

Clint Frazier explained that this isn’t about Cashman being hesitant or so, but about what’s looming over the entire sport—the next collective bargaining agreement and the very real threat of a lockout.

“I can’t help but think it’s that lockout,” Frazier said on his podcast, mentioning that players were warned years ago that trouble was incoming once the CBA got close to expiring. “I do believe that maybe that’s constraining some of these teams in the way that they’re operating right now.”

And well, Rob Manfred has been vocal about wanting a salary cap, and it’s something that MLB has never had, and players hate. Even if the time has not come yet, teams have started acting as if it has—hence the conscious spending—and yes, even the Yankees are doing it.

Just look at the payroll; the Yankees are hovering just under the final luxury tax threshold. If they bring back Bellinger, they will have barely any room left to fix anything else, like the rotation, lineup, or the shaky bullpen.

So at the end, Cashman might want to make moves, but Hal Steinbrenner said there is a certain “budget,” and the looming CBA may have tied his hands. But the front office shouldn’t wait, and what they can do right now is, if not spend an arm and a leg like the Dodgers, just get a replacement for players like Bellinger or get creative.

Could the New York Yankees shake things up with a big trade?

The fanbase should just maybe swallow the bitter pill that maybe the Yankees won’t spend big this time. But then the front office can always explore another way if they want to seriously upgrade the roster, and that’s where the trade market comes in.

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter gave out several ideas that can help save the Yankees’ offseason. And one proposal stands out, and it’s a deal that would send Jasson Dominguez to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitchers Brady Singer and Chase Petty.

Now it’s a bold and risky move for sure. But dig deeper, and it makes sense.

Singer could provide the Bronx Bombers with immediate help. The veteran right-hander is coming off a solid 2025 season and finished with 14 wins, a 4.03 ERA, and 163 strikeouts. He is also on a reasonable one-year, $13 million contract—so it’s a low-risk addition that could stabilize the rotation.

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Petty, on the other hand, is about his future potential. The 22-year-old former first-round pick has a fastball that touches the upper 90s. Now, he is still developing, but scouts do believe he has mid-rotation upside and could be knocking on the big-league door soon.

Now, the biggest talk is about Dominguez, given the Yankees still believe his long-term upside is prevalent after a shaky 2025 season.

Not an easy call to make, but if the Yankees want to make progress this off-season, maybe this “budgeted” way is the way to go!