Trent Grisham has returned to the New York Yankees by accepting their one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer, a move general manager Brian Cashman now views as a bargain amid a hot free-agent market. The 29-year-old outfielder follows his career-best 2025 performance with 34 home runs and a .235/.348/.464 slash line. The deal bolsters the Yankees' outfield depth alongside new signing Cody Bellinger.
In November 2025, the Yankees extended a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham, which general manager Brian Cashman described as a '50-50' decision. Grisham, acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto trade, opted to accept the one-year, $22.025 million contract rather than test free agency. Cashman expressed relief, stating on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio, “At this point, that $22 million looks like a bargain, the way the free-agent market got away from everybody. We’re really happy that he chose to stay with us. Hopefully, he can replicate what he did last year.”
Grisham's 2025 season marked a significant rebound from a challenging 2024, where he hit .190/.290/.385 in 76 games while adjusting to a part-time role. In 143 games last year, he achieved career highs with 581 plate appearances, 87 runs, 116 hits, 34 home runs, 74 RBIs, and 82 walks, posting a 125 OPS+. He attributed his success to improved mental focus, saying, “I like when I can get my mind to this level. 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.”
A two-time Gold Glove winner in center field with the Padres (2020 and 2022), Grisham's defense dipped in 2025 (-2 OAA and -11 DRS), partly due to a left hamstring injury. Manager Aaron Boone remains optimistic: “I think overall, you still watch him play the position and you're like, ‘Oh, that's a real center fielder.’ It’s not unrealistic that he gets back to being more in line with that Gold Glove-caliber guy with better health.”
The Yankees also re-signed Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million deal, described by Cashman as adding a “Swiss Army knife” versatile enough for outfield and first base. This outfield configuration, including Aaron Judge, echoes the group that reached the 2025 American League Division Series. However, it may limit immediate roles for prospects Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones, though Cashman noted the team's depth: “In terms of everyday spots, we’ve got players locked in. 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.” Giancarlo Stanton's ongoing management of severe tennis elbow could create designated hitter opportunities.
