Yankees offseason news, free agency analysis by Pete Caldera, Anthony McCarron
Pete Caldera, Yankees beat writer for The Record and NorthJersey.com, and SNY’s Anthony McCarron discuss potential Yankees moves this winter.
NEW YORK – Trent Grisham, it’s your call now.
On Thursday, the Yankees extended Grisham the $22.025 million free agent qualifying offer – forcing the lefty-hitting center fielder to make the next decision.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that Grisham was among the 13 MLB players extended qualifying offers by their 2025 teams.
Should he accept the offer, Grisham is a signed Yankee player for the 2026 season. By declining, Grisham would become a free agent, and the Yankees would receive a minor draft pick from the signing team as compensation.
Grisham has within 15 days to accept or decline the QO.
In extending the offer, the Yankees have created a potential safety net at center field should free agent Cody Bellinger sign elsewhere.
But Grisham is coming off a career year, and there’s incentive to decline the QO since there are likely to be several teams involved in a thin free agent market for center fielders.
As the lone part of the Juan Soto trade remaining in pinstripes in 2025, Grisham “became a lot bigger player than what we bargained for,” manager Aaron Boone said recently.
Underutilized in 2024, Grisham played in 143 regular season games in 2025 and posted an .811 OPS with 34 home runs and 74 RBI, mostly out of the leadoff spot, while playing solidly in center field.
But in the postseason, Grisham batted .138 (4-for-29) with two doubles and 10 strikeouts in seven games.
Much of the Yankees’ winter strategy revolves around their pursuit of Bellinger, who – as anticipated – triggered the opt-out clause to his contract and became a free agent two days after the World Series ended.
Bellinger was not subject to a QO, having previously received one. Grisham stands a reasonable chance of receiving a multi-year offer in free agency, though not at a $22.025 million annual average salary.
If Bellinger is signed by the Yankees, he likely becomes the regular center fielder, with Aaron Judge in right field and possibly a platoon in left field, with Jasson Dominguez getting the bulk of starts.
And when spring training begins, lefty-hitting slugger Spencer Jones – a top Yankees’ prospect – will be looking to make a deep impression.
“I think he’s put himself in the conversation” Boone said of Jones at least being considered for a job out of camp. “How it plays out depends on how our winter plays out.
“He’s put himself in a position to be considered a potential everyday major leaguer in 2026, but we’ll see.”