Looks like the war of words between Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees’ front office isn’t cooling off anytime soon. What started as a midseason shot from A-Rod and Derek Jeter toward Brian Cashman has now turned into a full-blown feud.

Reportedly, back in October, A-Rod stirred things up by saying, “Honestly, from the entire organization, [Aaron Boone] is the guy I would circle that is the least to blame. He’s got a lot of talent, but for me personally, this is one of the worst roster constructions I’ve ever seen.”

That jab came right when most people were blaming Boone for the Yankees’ collapse. But now that the World Series is over, Boone has fired back. “They’re in situations where they’ve got to have opinions, and obviously they should have strong opinions, and I don’t begrudge them for that at all,” Boone said. And if you thought A-Rod might stay quiet this time, well, he didn’t.

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According to A-Rod, it doesn’t really matter who’s managing the Yankees, whether it’s Aaron Boone or anyone else, because no team can succeed without a well-built roster. Take the Pirates as an example… Even with a standout like Paul Skenes, the team couldn’t perform due to poor roster construction.

Hence, in A-Rod’s eyes, the Yankees’ struggles this season come down to the same issue: bad roster decisions. “You have three left-handed catchers, you have five DHs. You have a first baseman in and out,” he said, calling out the imbalance. And who’s responsible for putting that roster together? Brian Cashman.

Remember when reliever Devin Williams kept blowing games and Boone admitted he didn’t have many alternatives? “Hard to do that right now when you have a short outing by the starter and you’re piecing it together,” Boone said at the time. That lack of bullpen depth, A-Rod argues, is on Cashman.

The same goes for Anthony Volpe, who led the AL with 19 errors yet was forced to play because the Yankees had no better option at shortstop.

So, for A-Rod, all of this just reinforces his stance: the Yankees’ front office — not Boone — is to blame for this year’s disappointment. And unless the team makes smarter roster moves this offseason, this war of words isn’t ending anytime soon.

However, this time, it looks like they are indeed making some moves.

All eyes are now on the Yankees’ roster moves

The first move they already made was by offering a qualifying offer to the 34-HR hero of 2025, Trent Grisham. If he accepts the option, the Yankees would be one step ahead in retaining their best-performing core. However, the focus should be on their starting rotation as well.

Gerrit Cole is expected to miss the first half of the season. Carlos Rodon will also miss the first half. Hence, the Yankees could really use an All-Star–level starter to steady the rotation.

Here, landing a true ace in this year’s top-heavy market might be unrealistic, but there are still solid mid-tier options worth exploring, like Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff. The 2x All-Star posted a 3.20 ERA and showed good command when healthy.

So, a two-year, $34 million deal could make sense for both sides, giving the Yankees a dependable arm to start the year and much-needed depth once Cole, Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt are back.

And let’s not forget the bullpen, which was a major headache throughout 2025. Strengthening that group should be just as much of a priority if the Yankees want to avoid another frustrating season.

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