One of the positions that the Tampa Bay Rays are focused on upgrading this offseason is the outfield.
President of baseball operations Erik Neander was not shy when discussing what the team was looking for out of the positional group. They would love to add someone who offers more power and run production after some underwhelming performances in 2025.
The Rays outfielders ranked near the bottom of baseball in home runs and RBI. Overall, the offensive production was lacking with third baseman Junior Caminero, first baseman Jonathan Aranda, second baseman Brandon Lowe and designated hitter Yandy Diaz being the only above-average rated hitters.
If Tampa Bay wants to make a push for the postseason in 2026, the offense needs to improve. Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors believes they will do exactly that, signing Trent Grisham away from their American League East rivals, the New York Yankees.
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That is certainly a bold prediction when taking into account what Grisham is expected to sign for this winter. MLB Trade Rumors has him landing a four-year, $66 million deal in free agency, a massive contract by the Rays’ standard of spending.
It certainly remains to be seen if the franchise will be willing to spend that kind of money on a player. With the club option for closer Pete Fairbanks being declined, the highest salaries currently on the roster are Diaz and Lowe at $12 million and $11.5 million.
Would the Rays be willing to shell out a contract that pays $16.5 million annually to a player whose 2025 was the first time they were above the league average at the plate since 2021?
Grisham was incredibly productive in 2025 with the Yankees, launching a career-high 34 home runs with 74 RBI. He had a 125 OPS+, and his .464 slugging percentage would be a massive boost for a team looking for power and run production improvements from the outfield spots.
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However, it is easy to understand why a franchise as frugal as Tampa Bay would be hesitant to hand that kind of contract over to a player with such a short track record of success at the plate.
Also, his fall off defensively and as a base runner will raise some concerns. 2025 was the first time in his career that Grisham wasn’t an above-average player in Fielding Run Value, producing a -3, which was in the 29th percentile.
It was the second consecutive campaign that he was negative as a base runner as well. Prior to 2024, he was above-average in Baserunning Run Value all five seasons he played in the Big Leagues.
Grisham would certainly fill their power void in the outfield, but is the turnaround at the plate sustainable? If his hitting production fell off, combined with his less-than-stellar base running and defensive performance, a contract of that size would quickly sink the franchise.