Big names are up for grabs. The Yankees have the chance to shake things up, fix their lineup, and go all-in for a championship run. But instead, silence. No blockbuster moves. No last-minute splashes.

Why? A $30 million roadblock they just can’t ignore.

In a recent episode of The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Yankees insider Michael Kay pulled back the curtain on the team’s hesitation. It all boils down to DJ LeMahieu’s contract. “That $30 million owed to DJ is still in the back of their mind, and they just don’t want to pay him for doing nothing,” Kay revealed.

Jon Heyman asked about the Yankees’ hesitation. “I just talked to Arenado yesterday; they’re on his list… He’d love to come, I’m sure. They don’t seem like they want to spend that kind of money.”

Kay affirmed that while the Yankees need to upgrade, they seem to be sticking with Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera. “When you’re going to go into the season with a combination of Oswaldo and Peraza, I’m not sure if you could feel that great about it.”

Some doubts around Arenado’s decline have also played a factor; however, Kay refuted them. “I keep hearing about the drop-off that Arenado has, but he’s still not a terrible player… He’s probably better at this point than Josh Donaldson was when you got him from the Twins.”

He also suggested a potential trade. “If the Yankees could get the Cardinals to take Marcus Stroman, I would make that deal.” But apparently, Joel Sherman wasn’t convinced. He debated over how trading Stroman could possibly weaken the Yankees, who are weaker in the rotation. “We could say whatever we want about Stroman, but he offers something that looks like a major league pitcher.”

In the end, it all circles back to LeMahieu’s contract. Until the time the Yankees move past the $30 million hurdle, their offense will remain hanging in balance.

Fixing his postseason struggles is key to Aaron Judge’s Yankees season

MVP, ground-breaking home runs, carrying the Yankees’ offense: Aaron Judge has done it all in the regular season. But none of it will really matter if he is unable to deliver when the stakes are even higher.

Last season, the Yankees reached the World Series. But Judge wasn’t the one leading the charge. It was Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto who stepped up when the stakes were the highest. “I’ve got to improve. I’ve got some ideas,” admitted Judge; he is aware he has to do better. He didn’t mention anything specific, but he’s already out there making changes.

He has increased his spring training at-bats to avoid his usual slow start. He’s been keen to improve his approach at the plate, making sure he doesn’t chase bad pitches or fall into anticipated patterns against elite postseason pitching.

But it all comes down to the question of if he can carry the momentum through the whole season and, most importantly, into October.

For Aaron Judge, it’s all about delivering the championship he promised when he signed again with New York. He said, “When I signed here again, it was about winning a championship, multiple championships.” That is the goal!

For now, the Yankees have some fixing to do. Depth…third base…pitching. But if Judge is able to resolve his October struggles, it could be one of the biggest game changers of all time.