The New York Yankees’ recent re-signing of outfielder Cody Bellinger hasn’t stopped pockets of fans and some local media members from criticizing Yankees senior vice president/general manager Brian Cashman and team owner Hal Steinbrenner regarding the club’s uninspiring offseason.
During a recent chat with Ryan Morik of Fox News Digital, Yankees legend Derek Jeter defended Steinbrenner amid calls for the Bronx Bombers to keep up with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ big-spending ways.
Derek Jeter insists Hal Steinbrenner has “been willing to go out and get players”
“Yankee fans, they have high expectations,” Jeter told Morik. “They’ve always had high expectations. For them, if you don’t win the World Series, it’s a failure. In that sense, I have the same mindset. So I get the frustration. But I’m sure Hal is frustrated as well. Hal’s been willing to go out and get players and put the Yankees in a position to win. But ultimately, you have to go out on the field and perform.”
Upset Yankees fans may respond by mentioning that Steinbrenner allowed himself to get outbid by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen in the Juan Soto sweepstakes shortly after the star slugger helped the Yankees reach the World Series in the fall of 2024.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers have happily remained the sport’s new “Evil Empire” after they won World Series titles in 2024 and 2025. Specifically, the Dodgers added star closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker via big-money deals this offseason.
Why Derek Jeter isn’t panicking about Yankees’ offseason
The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009 and seemingly aren’t all that close to ending that drought, coming off their American League Division Series defeat at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays this past fall. On Monday, SNY’s Anthony McCarron noted that it seems as if the Yankees are happily “just running it back” with a roster that failed to claim the division title last season due to a tiebreaker advantage.
Nevertheless, Jeter reminded fans that the Yankees will have opportunities to improve over the next handful of months.
“It’s a long season,” Jeter added. “I used to say it when I played – and people got tired of me saying it – the best teams make it to the postseason, and the hottest team wins. Teams that get there, whoever’s hottest, can win a World Series. They had a successful regular season, didn’t end up how they wanted to, but I’m sure things change. Trade deadline, injuries, a lot of things happen. So they obviously like the position they’re in, and we’ll see what happens. …It all comes down to the trade deadline, man. Teams change dramatically at the trade deadline.”