The New York Yankees received Trent Grisham as part of the deal that brought Juan Soto to the team. Soto left after just one season, but Grisham’s second year with the team was great.
Grisham had a career year, hitting 34 home runs with a .811 OPS. Both were career bests for the 29-year-old outfielder. Grisham’s breakout year could not have come at a better time, as it was his last year before hitting free agency. The Yankees extended him a qualifying offer, but he may have plenty of suitors.
The Yankees are self-admittedly interested in bringing Cody Bellinger back as well. Between that, Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones’ debut looming, Grisham may be the odd man out. Considering that, Just Baseball’s Ryan Finkelstein predicted Grisham would sign with the Reds on a three-year, $42 million deal.
“A rather good comp for Grisham can be found from last offseason, when Jurickson Profar hit the market after a career year with the Padres, where he posted a 139 wRC+ and a 4.3 fWAR season,” Finkelstein wrote on Friday. “Profar was coming off a slightly better all-around year than Grisham, but he was also three years older. Ultimately, a three-year deal for Grisham at $14 million per year would be a marked improvement on the $5 million he made in his final year of arbitration in 2025.”
Grisham is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, but last season, his defense was not as sharp. He had a minus-two outs above average, according to Baseball Savant. The qualifying offer attached to him and the defensive decline may hurt his market. However, the Reds surprisingly made the postseason last year and may see now as the time to add a player like Grisham.
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