Michael Kay says Yankees have new ‘ruthless’ edge — here’s what that means for roster

The New York Yankees are no longer in the business of coddling anyone.

Not veterans. Not big contracts. Not feelings. And if you’ve been paying attention to the early part of this season, you already know the results are speaking for themselves.

On a recent episode of his ESPN New York show, YES Network announcer Michael Kay broke down what he called a fundamental shift in how the Yankees are operating.

After watching the Bombers go 7-2 on the road, Kay zeroed in on something bigger than the box scores: a cultural change in how this franchise makes decisions.

“There is a ruthlessness and a decisiveness to the Yankees that we have not seen all that often of late,” Kay said, via YouTube.

Luis Gil, the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year, posted an ERA above 6.00 over four starts and found himself back in the minors.

In his place? Elmer Rodriguez, 22, a kid who was probably surprised to find himself in the big leagues this soon.

Paul Goldschmidt was signed to be a first base option, but Ben Rice has been so good that Goldschmidt finds himself on the bench more often than not.

And then there was the Randall Grichuk decision. When the Yankees needed to clear a roster spot to call up Rodriguez, they released Grichuk — a proven right-handed bat and a veteran presence — just like that. Gone.

“I’m saying ruthless in a ‘we’re trying to win this thing. We don’t care about feelings,’” Kay said.

Kay was careful to note that this ruthlessness isn’t just coming from the front office. Manager Aaron Boone has a hand in it too — and a big reason why is that he finally has the depth to back it up.

When your bench is deep with legitimate options, making tough decisions becomes a lot easier. When a player slumps, there are real alternatives available. That changes everything about how a manager can operate.