The New York Yankees saved themselves from total catastrophe by bringing back Aaron Judge this past offseason. Following that and their promotion of top prospect Anthony Volpe, not much has gone right for the Bronx Bombers. It's a week into May and they are still last in the AL East.

The Yankees are in a predicament with their roster construction. A rival executive discussed the issues with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, raising two big points.

“That’s not a roster you can turn over easily,” the anonymous executive said, via The Athletic. The Yankees have several core players signed through at least the next two years after 2023, which includes one of the banes of New York fans, Aaron Hicks. This also includes Judge, Gerrit Cole DJ LeMahieu, Giancarlo Stanton and Carlos Rodon, who has yet to make his debut in pinstripes after signing a six-year deal.

“What’s their move in the offseason?” the executive asked. While the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes will take center stage, the Yankees aren't always keen on throwing out big contracts despite their deep pockets. Adding talent around the margins most likely won't help the underperforming stars. Calling up another top prospect in Jasson Dominguez isn't guaranteed to yield results, either.

The Yankees' current core is locked in for a while. Extending Gleyber Torres will help but problems will still persist. The offense outside of Judge is way too hit-or-miss for a World Series contender. Cole is off to a sensational start to the year but the pitching depth is a problem caused somewhat by injuries and somewhat by disappointing play.

Injuries can only partly explain the team's need for new blood. The Yankees have repeatedly come up just short of being the class of the American League. With the Tampa Bay Rays hitting a great stride, the young Baltimore Orioles showing promise and the Toronto Blue Jays looking really solid, being the AL East's best team is an uphill battle. Even the downtrodden Boston Red Sox lead them in the standings.

The Yankees' struggles are highlighted in part because they play in a very tough division and not a heap of mediocrity like the AL Central. But given their massive expectations and past years of winning stacks of games, it shouldn't matter. New York has to figure out something soon.