Yankees All But Guaranteed To Cut Ties With Outfielder After $22 Million Move
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 17: New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (12) looks on during the MLB game between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins on September 17th, 2025, at Target Field in Minneapolis, MN. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The New York Yankees have caught some criticism for essentially running back the same roster after last season, but at least one of the team’s winter reunions seems destined to be short lived.
The Yankees brought back outfielders Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham for another run at the World Series, but while Bellinger’s contract is for five yearsGrisham’s was merely a one-year qualifying offer. And even if Grisham can prove that his renaissance at the plate last season was no fluke, the Yankees’ young outfielder depth seems to virtually guarantee that the team will cut ties with him after that one-year pact expires.
“Grisham’s deal is for one season,” Yankees insider Bob Klapisch reported for NJ.com. “No one expects him to return next year.”
New York Yankees Evaluating Trent Grisham Replacement Options After New Deal
With the Yankees’ minds essentially made up on Grisham’s long-term future with the team, the next question will be around who will fill in for him alongside Bellinger and Aaron Judge in the outfield after next season.
And with two viable options already in the organization in young slugger Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones, the Yankees might not even wait until next season to move on from Grisham.
“The Yankees believe they’ve unlocked Grisham’s potential at the plate, and that his out-of-nowhere power was no fluke,” Klapisch added. “But that doesn’t mean Grisham was an especially tough out. A career .218 hitter, Grisham batted .235 during the regular season and was all but invisible in the playoffs, when he hit just .138 (4-for-29) with no home runs. Just like Dominguez and Jones, the Yankees will be watching Grisham closely over the next five weeks.”
New York Yankees’ Roster ‘Locked In’ As Jasson Dominguez, Spencer Jones Compete
If Grisham recedes or if there is a significant injury to one of the big-league options, the Yankees will have a choice to make between Dominguez and Jones. And the Spring Training battle between the two could go a long way in deciding who will slot in, though Dominguez seems to have an advantage after serving as a regular big-league presence last year.
“In terms of everyday spots, we’ve got players locked in,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said of the outfield mix, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “But you guys all know how, unfortunately, the twists and turns of getting through Spring Training and playing out a regular season.
Even if Grisham does stay healthy and productive for the season, though, the Yankees’ reunion with him seems destined to be short-lived as their younger options continue to develop.
