The Yankees’ optimism levels entering 2025 are much lower than in prior years, as their owner is talking about his financial burdens and their high-priced stars are set to miss a whole lot of games. Sound like any other franchise you know — that may or may not play in Southern CaliforniThis Is Why It Pay To Add Depth, Another Yankees Major Weapon Down With Uncertain Recovery Injurya? The New York Yankees, one of the league’s preeminent organizations, are starting to feel an awful lot like the dreadful Angels in that they are going to endure an entire season without Gerrit Cole and possibly even Giancarlo Stanton. The Angels know a thing or two about the players they pay most not playing at all.
While it’s unlikely that the Angels and Yankees will end up with similar records this season, the gap between them may not be as wide as in years past. The Yankees were already expected to take a step back following their World Series loss last year, and now, with Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton sidelined, the door is slightly open for the Angels to gain ground in the American League standings.
It’s hard to imagine the margin getting much bigger after the Angels hit rock bottom in 2024, but with the Yankees entering the season without two of their most expensive stars—who are set to earn a combined $58 million—their own challenges are mounting.
Yankees fans may be in for a taste of the same frustration that Angels fans endure year after year—watching their highest-paid stars spend more time on the injured list than on the field.
As ESPN’s Jeff Passan pointed out, “Sixteen players will make $30 million or more this year. Three of them will begin the season on the injured list: the Angels’ Anthony Rendon, and the Yankees’ Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton, whose mysterious bilateral elbow injuries could cause him to miss the season as well.”
That’s not exactly the kind of company the Yankees want to keep. With two of their biggest names sidelined, New York could be in for a rough season—one that Angels fans know all too well.
Anthony Rendon would be lucky to have his Angels tenure compared to Giancarlo Stanton’s time with the Yankees, but if Stanton misses a significant chunk of the 2025 season, their situations suddenly look a lot more alike.
The Rendon-Cole connection really only begins and ends with both signing during the 2020 Winter Meetings and now potentially missing the entire 2025 season due to injury.
Meanwhile, Stanton’s contract is starting to resemble Albert Pujols’ deal with the Angels—both players undoubtedly underperformed relative to their massive contracts, but they still provided plenty of memorable moments along the way.
Aaron Judge and Mike Trout have long been compared throughout their careers, and now their situations are more aligned than ever. Both superstar outfielders are making massive salaries to elevate their teams, yet both find themselves in desperate need of supporting players to step up in 2025.
With Giancarlo Stanton’s return timeline uncertain, the Yankees will be relying heavily on Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger, Anthony Volpe, and Austin Wells to provide much-needed lineup protection for Judge. Similarly, Trout needs others to break out if the Angels hope to be competitive.
Both stars are also expected to see increased time at DH, albeit for different reasons—whether it’s injury concerns or simply preserving their longevity.
Angels fans, who have endured similar struggles for years, can certainly empathize with Yankees fans as they navigate this challenging season.
