Five things the Yankees need to address at upcoming GM meetings. Will David Bednar return as closer?

Well over a decade ago, Brian Cashman referred to Major League Baseball’s annual general managers' meetings as “a necessary evil.”

There was an element of sarcasm to the comment but, like most sarcasm, it contained some truth.

Not much of significance in terms of roster moves typically happens during the three-day get-together — which this offseason starts on Tuesday in Las Vegas — but important groundwork can be laid for moves both large and small.

However, because of the impending lockout that is expected to begin at midnight on Dec. 2 — a lockout that is expected to last into the spring and perhaps well beyond as management and labor try to hash out a new collective bargaining agreement — these meetings could produce more activity than usual.

Then again, with owners collectively more hell-bent on the implementation of a salary cap this time around than ever before, teams could stay in more of a holding pattern to see what the financial parameters of a new CBA look like.

Keeping that uncertainty in mind, here are five things for the Yankees to address at the GM meetings:

1. Closing time

The Yankees extended the $23.15 million qualifying offer to closer David Bednar, a standout since he was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline. The righthander has until Nov. 17 to decide whether to accept the offer — which, by average annual value, would make him the best-compensated reliever in the sport — or hit the free-agent market. Because of the number of teams looking for high-end bullpen arms and a limited number of such arms on the market, Bednar could score big with a multiyear free-agent deal. If he chooses to explore free agency, the question will be how far the Yankees, who have no other obvious in-house options to close, will go to retain him.

2. Infield intrigue

It already is known in the industry that the Yankees are exploring options at third base because of the disappointment Ryan McMahon has been. That has been the case at the plate — which isn’t much of a surprise, given that he arrived at the 2025 deadline with questions surrounding his bat — and in the field. His defensive struggles last season were more of a surprise, given how good he was at third after his arrival. The Yankees could try to move McMahon — which could prove difficult because he’s due $16 million next season — but regardless, addressing the position is high on the club’s list of priorities.

That is not as much the case when it comes to second base. Even though the Yankees are open to other possibilities, they appear comfortable giving former shortstop Anthony Volpe a run there, or perhaps even 2026 deadline acquisition Luis Garcia Jr.

3. Bullpen not just about Bednar

Even if the Yankees succeed in retaining Bednar, which is a priority, their work regarding the 2027 bullpen will remain far from done. Of the relievers whom they most relied on last season, only Brent Headrick and Fernando Cruz, whose season ended with a partially torn UCL, are under team control for '27 (and the arbitration-eligible Cruz is a candidate to be non-tendered). Paul Blackburn, who had as good a season as any Yankees reliever, is a free agent, and while they would like him back, it’s unlikely that the Yankees, with plenty of needs elsewhere, will spend big money to sign both Blackburn and Bednar. Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough and late-season additions John Schreiber and Michael Fulmer also are free agents from the ’26 bullpen.

4. Hitting their mark

The Yankees already have made one decision on a key member of manager Aaron Boone’s staff, re-signing well-liked pitching coach Matt Blake, whose contract expired at the end of October. That has not yet been the case with another significant member, hitting coach James Rowson, also with a contract that expired at the end of last month. Rowson, who is well-liked in the clubhouse and well-respected in the game (the Astros and Twins  came calling last offseason with the desire to talk to him about major-league hitting coordinator positions), is thought to be in the crosshairs because of the recent comments by owner Hal Steinbrenner, who laid this October’s flameout at the feet of the offense. Since firing Kevin Long after the 2014 season, the Yankees have employed six hitting coaches and only two pitching coaches in that time, which suggests an organizational hitting philosophy issue rather than a coaching one.

5. Front and center

After mostly struggling in his first two stints with the big-league club in 2026, rookie outfielder Spencer Jones appeared to have things come together his third time up, including successfully hitting lefthanded pitching. The 6-7, 240-pound Jones didn’t always take the best routes during extended playing time in centerfield toward season’s end, but  overall, he looked the part. The Yankees appear ready to give Jones a shot at the everyday job but, at the same time, will look to the market to protect themselves with a veteran safety net of some kind.

By Erik Boland

erik.boland@newsday.comeboland11

Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.