The Yankees know that “bringing him back” doesn’t change the end goal

TAMPA — Some of the first days of spring training can double as meet-and-greets.

But Wednesday at Steinbrenner Field may also have been a big family reunion — and that’s even with most of the players still on the street at the player development complex before they report this weekend.

Although the continuity of the Yankees’ roster from 2025 to 2026 has drawn the ire of much of the fan base over the lack of change, the players themselves don’t seem to share the same concerns. About bringing it back with the same mostly intact group of their 94-win team.

“We’re bringing it back, because halfway through (last season), we thought we built a team that was going to go to the World Series and we still believe that wholeheartedly,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said Wednesday as pitchers, catchers and World Series pitchers filed into camp.

“So for me, I don’t see a problem coming back with four of the best players in your team.”

Some might argue that the problem is that the best players – Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt – He will play this season at the ages of 34, 30, 36 and 38, respectively.

While Judge has won the MVP award in three of the past four seasons, the only other MVP to come this decade from that group was Goldschmidt in 2022.

However, the Yankees are counting on more than just that foursome to fuel another strong season that ends with a chance to play for the championship in October.

They return 24 of the 26 players who were on their ALDS roster last year when they got their lunch from the Blue Jays, who later came within inches of winning the World Series.

“If we play well, it will be good,” Goldschmidt said of his running back. “If we don’t do that, that’s probably why they say we’re not playing well. For me, the expectation of this organization, whoever the players are here, is to win the championship. That’s got to be the mentality.”

“Camp hasn’t started yet, but everyone knows what the Yankees are about. Everyone knows the expectations of the fan base, the ownership, the front office, the players — this is an organization that wins or misses the championship every year. That’s not going to change whether it’s a group similar to last year or a completely new group.”

“We have to prepare, we have to do our best and that’s the number one thing. What we did last year, even though we’re a similar group, it doesn’t matter. None of those wins have lasted, none of those losses have lasted. So we’re going to start from scratch and try to build a team that will play very well and hopefully win the championship.”

Of course, the team that steps into Steinbrenner Stadium this week is a lot different than the team that was here this time last year.

That’s Marcus Stroman and Carlos Carrasco about to make 15 appearances, Gerrit Cole is about to do nothing, Cam Schlitler is headed to Double-A, Stanton is dealing with double-elbow issues, and Ben Rice is still largely unproven as a middle-of-the-pack threat.

It didn’t have a group of additions at the trade deadline — Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero, Amed Rosario, David Bednar, Camilo Duval, and Jake Bird — who are now back with their feet under them and more entrenched in the organization.

It also had what seemed like a more established position, even if that did not always lead to better results.

But Goldschmidt’s comments about a fresh start echoed those of Aaron Boone, who will likely repeat a version of that message when he addresses the entire team before the team’s first full practice on Monday.

“You’re starting over, so there’s nothing you’ll end up taking with you from last year,” Boone said. “It’s all a blank slate.”