The New York Yankees have been a patient and lower-spending team this offseason compared to how they normally operate.
While top free agents trickle off the board, the Yankees have held firm and not handed out a multi-year contract to any free agents just yet. With Christmas upon them, the Yankees could gift their fans some presents this holiday season with a big signing.
But have the Yankees ever made a roster move on Christmas Day? According to Baseball Reference, the Yankees, despite their long history in MLB, have never made a roster move on Christmas. But Christmas Eve? They've been active.
History of Yankees roster moves on Christmas holidays
While the Yankees haven't made any roster moves, be it a free agent signing or a trade, on Christmas, they've been active on Christmas Eve.
In 2022, the Yankees signed Rafael Ortega to a free agent deal. He didn't play for theYankees in 2023, as he instead joined the Mets after being released by the Yankees in March.
Back in 2015, the Yankees signed Donovan Solano to a free agent deal on Christmas Eve. He only appeared in nine games for the Yankees, posting a.715 OPS before a two-year absence from MLB.
The most notable Yankees' Christmas Eve roster move came back in 1996, as David Wells signed a free agent deal with the Yankees.
He went on to be a huge part of the 1998 World Series team in New York. Wells put up 4.3 and 4.8 bWAR in the two years after this Christmas Eve signing, making him the best holiday roster move from the Yankees by far.
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Their next earliest Christmas Eve roster move was an interesting one, as the Yankees sent catcher Bill Lindsey to the Chicago White Sox in 1986 as a player-to-be-named-later in the trade for Ron Kittle, Joel Skinner, and Wayne Tolleson.
Joe Dugan was claimed off waivers by the Boston Braves from the Yankees in 1928. A similar situation happened in 1919 when Roy Sanders was claimed off waivers from the Yankees by the St. Louis Browns.
But, the Yankees' oldest addition on Christmas Eve was technically the Wells signing, as their other roster moves involved players departing the team in some way.
The Yankees have been involved in a lot of Christmas Eve roster moves, but not once have they ever given their fans a Christmas Day present. While it's unlikely to change this year, it's an interesting story to follow for years to come.
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