With free agency officially beginning today, 10 players on the 2026 New York Yankees will no longer be under contract.
Despite the Yankees carrying expectations of World Series contention, their latest playoff exit showed they aren't at that level. New York not only has multiple holes to fill at individual positions , but they also need a more versatile lineup after ranking in the bottom 10 in on-base percentage, which made it much harder to put their trademark power to good use.
With this need for a shakeup, many of the Yankees' free agents are expected to be on the move and play in different uniforms next season . But where exactly will these players end up?
Here are my predictions of where the Yankees' 10 free agents will be playing in 2027.
The Yankees' biggest priority in free agency is to re-sign David Bednar. While the team has other issues to address, Bednar meshed with the Yankees as well as peanut butter does with jelly. He figures to be the long-term closer in the Bronx.
Unlike other closers who gradually lost effectiveness throughout a season, Bednar only looked more dominant as the 2026 season progressed. After a blown save against the New York Mets on May 17, the big right-hander nailed down 25 of his next 27 save opportunities while logging a 1.46 ERA and 2.33 FIP. In those 43.1 innings, Bednar struck out 53 batters, walked just 13, and recorded a 0.83 WHIP.
Bednar's dependability down the stretch made him a fan favorite, especially after other closers like Aroldis Chapman, Clay Holmes, and Devin Williams failed to be the permanent solution in the ninth inning. The Yankees need to improve the bullpen this winter, but bringing Bednar back is part of the equation.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. will likely leave the Yankees for the West Coast. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It's the worst-kept secret that the Yankees are letting Jazz Chisholm Jr. walk. Despite his immense talent and still putting up 3.5 fWAR in a down offensive year, multiple reports indicate that the Bronx Bombers aren't even interested in giving Chisholm the qualifying offer.
While Chisholm's disappointing 2026 season makes it more likely he takes a shorter-term contract he can use as a platform, many teams should be eager to take a chance on him, with his defense and baserunning remaining elite. Ultimately, the San Diego Padres make the most sense.
The Padres endured a brutal season from second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who became a defensive liability at second in addition to his offensive woes. However, Cronenworth is under contract for four more seasons and has first-base experience that can make him a replacement for Ty France, who is entering free agency.
Moving Cronenworth to first opens a spot for Chisholm at second. And if he resembles the player the Yankees got in 2025, then the Padres have the dynamic player they need to keep their contention window open.
It may make sense for Trent Grisham to "choose Texas" on the open market. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Similar to Chisholm, Trent Grisham played his final game in a Yankees uniform. The left-handed outfielder regressed at the plate and in center field, all while being paid $22.05 million under the qualifying offer .
But while Grisham will see a sizeable pay cut as a free agent, he may still see interest from other clubs that need an outfielder. One of those teams is the Houston Astros, who, of course, are based in Grisham's home state of Texas.
The Astros had the worst outfield in baseball in 2026, collectively hitting .199/.273/.351, with an MLB-worst 75 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR. Since playing Yordan Alvarez in left field obviously isn't an option, perhaps they turn to Grisham to rectify this weakness.
Even though Grisham struggled, his underlying batted-ball metrics and good strike zone awareness this year could make him an intriguing bounce-back option.
It's likely that Grisham's days as a center fielder are over, though. Expect him to be a corner outfielder for any team that looks to sign him, including the Astros.
It seems more likely that the Yankees will look for the "next" Paul Blackburn instead of bringing him back. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Blackburn enjoyed a fantastic 2026 season, registering a 1.59 ERA in 85.0 innings and going from a long reliever to a high-leverage setup man for the aforementioned Bednar. However, with the Yankees successfully re-signing pitching coach Matt Blake and Blackburn entering free agency, it's more likely the Bronx Bombers will look for Blake's newest project instead of bringing the resurgent righty back.
Naturally, Blackburn's head-turning campaign should bring him plenty of suitors, particularly those with struggling bullpens. In that case, Blackburn may not need to move too far to join his next team.
The Philadelphia Phillies are desperate to keep their contention window open and expect to be aggressive in addressing their needs. Arguably, their biggest Achilles' heel is the bullpen; Phillies relievers combined for a 4.43 ERA, the 10th-worst in baseball. Despite having an electric closer in Jhoan Duran, Philadelphia couldn't find an effective setup man after Brad Keller's injury.
After Blackburn thrived as a setup man in New York, signing with the Phillies would allow him to continue in that role and hopefully achieve similar success.
Paul Goldschmidt may sign with his long-time team in free agency to finish what should be a Hall of Fame career. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Although Goldschmidt wants to play for another season, it likely won't come with the Yankees due to their logjam at first base/DH . The addition of Heliot Ramos at the trade deadline also eliminates the need for Goldy, as Ramos figures to serve as New York's platoon bat against left-handers.
With Goldschmidt's career likely winding down, it makes sense for him to go to the team where he was the heart and soul for nearly a decade. It makes even more sense when the Arizona Diamondbacks got next to nothing from their first basemen in 2026. Ildemaro Vargas led the D-backs with 65 games at first and totaled -0.1 fWAR.
Goldschmidt was fairly productive for the Yankees last season and even served as a key contributor in the first few weeks after Aaron Judge's IL stint. A return to Arizona wouldn't merely be a farewell season, as he can legitimately help his longtime club.
This might be the end of the line for Tim Hill. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Hill was so ineffective in 2026 that the Yankees left him off the postseason roster completely. Given that he put up -1.1 fWAR and a 4.60 ERA in a high-leverage role, it's not hard to see why the Bronx Bombers lost confidence in him .
Sadly, this looks like the end for Hill, who will turn 37 in February. His pitch-to-contact strategy is no longer working, as batters are no longer chasing his low-velocity sinker. They instead wait for the lefty to throw it for a strike and hit it hard. Hill's high ground ball rate and low walk rate could get a team to sign him to a minor league deal, but if there are no takers, retirement is a strong possibility.
In comparison to Hill, Yarbrough remained solid in 2026 as a long reliever. Across 38 appearances (including two starts), the lefty pitched 63.1 innings and allowed only 23 walks and three home runs.
Most teams need to navigate a season through pitching injuries, and the Yankees are no exception. Yarbrough's role is perhaps underappreciated, as his experience as both a starter and reliever makes him a versatile depth piece. The numbers may not be flashy, but Yarbrough is dependable enough for the Yankees to keep him around.
Despite only being 30 years old, Rosario is rapidly achieving journeyman status. His 2026 season with the Yankees didn't do him any favors. He was a platoon bat against left-handers who not only ended up hitting better against righties but also struggled immensely against the pitchers he was supposed to face. Rosario's atrocious defense was merely the icing on the cake.
Yet, it's reasonable to assume that Rosario's numbers against southpaws will return to his career norms.
Perhaps the lowly Colorado Rockies can take a flyer on him; this has nothing to do with Rosario's poor season, but everything to do with the Rockies having an MLB-worst 84 wRC+ against left-handed pitching.
Bringing in Rosario to mash lefties in the hitter's paradise known as Coors Field sounds like a fun addition for a struggling team.
The underlying numbers aren't great for John Schreiber. He had just as many walks as strikeouts in 11 appearances with the Yankees. But he allowed only two earned runs after joining the team as a waiver claim, and right-handed batters recorded a meager .199 wOBA in 2026.
Since Schreiber saw more positive results in his brief Bronx tenure, maybe he returns as another reclamation project for Matt Blake. As mentioned before, it seems more likely the Yankees sign a pitcher for Blake to develop instead of re-signing Paul Blackburn; that pitcher could very well be Schreiber.
Fulmer was another post-deadline addition to the bullpen, but he was left off the postseason roster, unlike Schreiber. Ironically, Fulmer looked like the more electric arm, striking out 14 batters and issuing six walks in just 10 innings.
Ultimately, the Yankees would be better off sticking with one project arm for Blake instead of two. One reason Schreiber would be favored over Fulmer is his larger major-league volume.
Schreiber spent all of 2026 at the major-league level, while Fulmer spent the majority of the year in Triple-A. Maybe another team takes a flyer on Fulmer in the offseason, but it would almost certainly be on another minor-league deal.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/yankees/onsi as Predicting Landing Spots for 10 Yankees Free Agents .
