(Photo credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images)

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge readily admitted that it was 'brutal' to wait on his team to make some transactions this offseason.

The three-time and reigning American League Most Valuable Player had his first media availability of spring training Monday in Tampa.

'It was brutal. I'm like, 'I see a lot of free agents out there,'' Judge said. 'I'm like, 'Let's sign these guys right now and start adding more pieces,' because I've seen other teams around the league get better.

'Early on, it was pretty tough to watch. I'm like, 'Man, we're the New York Yankees. Let's go out there and get the right people, get the right pieces to go out there and finish this thing off.''

Judge was asked whether he expressed his view to the team, and he grinned and said, 'Yeah, oh, yeah.'

In the end, New York mostly brought back the same roster from 2025 that finished 94-68, lost the AL East title to the Toronto Blue Jays in a tiebreaker and then fell to Toronto in the AL Division Series.

Center fielder Trent Grisham accepted a qualifying offer last November, after which it was all quiet for a franchise known as one of the major leagues' biggest spenders. At one point in the winter, the Yankees were the only team in baseball that had not yet added a new player.

That changed when the Yankees traded four prospects for Miami Marlins left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers. But the biggest names they signed were brought back from the 2025 roster -- outfielder Cody Bellinger landed a five-year, $162.5 million deal last month and veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt came back on a one-year, $4 million pact.

That was enough for Judge.

'We're right where we need to be,' Judge told reporters. 'I love it. I don't know, people might have their opinions on (running it back) because we didn't win it all last year and fell short in the Division Series.'

Judge also said his right elbow is at full strength after his flexor strain last summer did not fully heal. Manager Aaron Boone recently said Judge would play in four or five of the Yankees' first nine Grapefruit League games as he gets back to throwing at game speed.

Judge said he was 'definitely concerned' after the postseason ended and didn't know whether he'd need surgery until the team doctors assuaged his concerns.

'They ran all the checks again and did all the tests and they said, 'You're good to go,'' Judge said. 'And I said, 'All right, when can we start throwing?' So it was good. It was great. It was great to hear those words so that now I can go into the offseason and just prepare the way I need to be in the best shape to start the year.'

--Field Level Media