TAMPA, Fla. -- When the Yankees extended a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham in November, general manager Brian Cashman viewed it as a true coin flip, describing it as a “50-50” call. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the outfielder opted to accept or decline.
With pitchers and catchers set to report next week, Cashman believes the Yankees caught a break when Grisham accepted the one-year, $22.025 million deal, especially in light of how the free-agent market unfolded this winter.
“At this point, that $22 million looks like a bargain, the way the free-agent market got away from everybody,” Cashman said recently on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio. “We’re really happy that he chose to stay with us. Hopefully, he can replicate what he did last year.”
The Yankees would have no complaints if Grisham, 29, continues to build upon what amounted to a breakout offensive performance.
In 143 games, Grisham posted a .235/.348/.464 slash line (125 OPS+), registering career highs in plate appearances (581), at-bats (494), runs (87), hits (116), home runs (34), RBIs (74) and walks (82).
Grisham credited improved mental focus for helping him rebound from a difficult 2024 campaign in which he batted .190/.290/.385 in 76 games, struggling to adjust to a part-time role after being acquired from the Padres in the Juan Soto trade.
“I like when I can get my mind to this level,” Grisham said during the season. “It’s a lot of fun to just experience that, learn from that and produce that on a nightly basis. … It’s what I’ve always dreamed about and thought I was capable of. To do it is a whole another thing, but it doesn’t surprise me.”
Cashman said the Yankees believed Grisham, best known for his defense as a two-time Gold Glove Award winner with San Diego (2020, ’22), could improve at the plate.
“We had tried to acquire him for a number of years out of San Diego,” Cashman said. “We felt that there was some upside in his offensive profile. Everybody knew what the defensive side was.
“When we acquired him as part of the Soto deal, he was really supposed to play and rest guys three days a week. But the way the ’24 season played out, Boonie ran the ‘A’ lineup out every day because nobody got hurt. That carried us all the way to a World Series.”
After 2024, Cashman said the Yankees faced a “tough decision” to tender Grisham a $5 million deal, which represented a $500,000 pay cut. They were surprised that his defense slipped in ’25 (-2 OAA and -11 DRS), which manager Aaron Boone attributed in part to playing through a left hamstring injury.
"I think overall, you still watch him play the position and you're like, ‘Oh, that's a real center fielder,’” Boone said. “It's not unrealistic that he gets back to being more in line with that Gold Glove-caliber guy with better health.”
With Grisham secured and Aaron Judge having claimed his third American League MVP in four years, the Yankees spent most of the winter chasing Cody Bellinger, who agreed to a five-year, $162.5 million contract in January.
Cashman referred to Bellinger as “a Swiss Army knife” who can bat in the middle of the lineup and play all three outfield positions, plus first base.
At least on paper, the returns of Bellinger and Grisham figure to limit opportunities for Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones. Until Bellinger re-signed, Boone had envisioned a spring battle between Domínguez and Jones for left-field reps.
Giancarlo Stanton missed a significant portion of last season with severe tennis elbow in both arms, an issue that has not healed and will be managed again this coming year. That could open more turns in the designated hitter spot.
Otherwise, the Yankees must weigh whether Domínguez and Jones are best served to begin the season as bench pieces, logging development time in the Minors or as pieces in potential trade discussions.
“In terms of everyday spots, we’ve got players locked in,” Cashman said. “But you guys all know how, unfortunately, the twists and turns of getting through Spring Training and playing out a regular season.
“Guys go down and, with the outfield positioning or the DH spot, that’s four different spots that at any day are at risk for injury. So they’re an injury away from playing every day with the club. We’ll see how it all plays out, but we have a lot of depth.”