The Yankees have tendered the qualifying offer to Trent Grisham.
Grisham was one of 13 eligible free agents to receive the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer prior to Thursday’s 5 p.m. deadline. He was joined by Kyle Tucker (Cubs), Shota Imanaga (Cubs), Kyle Schwarber (Phillies), Ranger Suárez (Phillies), Dylan Cease (Padres), Michael King (Padres), Bo Bichette (Blue Jays), Framber Valdez (Astros), Edwin Díaz (Mets), Zac Gallen (Diamondbacks), Gleyber Torres (Tigers) and Brandon Woodruff (Brewers).
Devin Williams also had a case to receive a qualifying offer from the Yankees, but the team decided against that after he endured a rocky first season in pinstripes.
Grisham and other recipients now have until Nov. 18 to accept or reject the QO. The Yankees will receive draft pick compensation – a pick after the fourth round in 2026 – if Grisham rejects it and signs elsewhere. If Grisham accepts the QO, he will get a significant raise, albeit only for a year, after making $5 million in 2025.
He would also likely get to stay in a city he’s enjoyed, though the Yankees could still trade him if he were to accept the QO.
“I like this place a lot,” Grisham, who can still sign with the Yankees if he rejects the QO, said in August. “I like the guys we have in the clubhouse. I like New York. There’s a lot of things I like about it, so we’ll see.”
That the Yankees extended Grisham the QO speaks to the strides he made this past season, as he was a non-tender and trade candidate last winter after barely playing in 2024. Grisham had a career year in 2025, though, belting 34 home runs to go with an .811 OPS and 129 wRC+. The left-handed swinger, who became the Yankees’ primary leadoff man against righties, attributed his breakout to an improved mental approach, and the 29-year-old’s quality of contact metrics suggest that he can remain a force at the plate moving forward.
Still, there are few reasons the Yankees may not pursue a long-term deal with Grisham.
For one, his production this past season was unprecedented, as he hit.191 with a .651 OPS and an 87 wRC+ from 2022-2024. Metrics also dinged his once-Gold Glove defense in center in 2025 – he had -2 Outs Above Average – so a shift to the corners may be in his future.
Other suitors will also have to think about those factors if Grisham seeks a multi-year deal.
The attachment of draft pick compensation may also depress his market.
If a competitive balance tax-paying club other than the Yankees signs Grisham in free agency, it has to forfeit its second- and fifth-highest picks and $1 million from its international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period. A revenue-sharing team would surrender its third-highest pick if it signs Grisham.
While Grisham has expressed an openness to staying with the Yankees, re-signing Cody Bellinger is more likely and a top priority for the team.
Bellinger can also play center field, though he grades out better in the corners. However, the Yankees have Aaron Judge in right and consider the defensively subpar Jasson Domínguez better off in left than center.
“Certainly, we’d love to have him with our team moving forward, but we haven’t had any of those discussions,” Brian Cashman said of Bellinger on Oct. 16.
If the Yankees do not retain Grisham or Bellinger, their center field options will be limited. Other free agents include former Yankee Harrison Bader and Cedric Mullins. The White Sox could also make Luis Robert Jr. available in a trade after picking up his $20 million option for 2026, but he is coming off two poor, injury-riddled seasons.
The Yankees also have top-100 prospect Spencer Jones. Should he remain in the organization, he will have a chance to impact the big league club next year after an explosive 2025 campaign split between Double-A and Triple-A. There are still concerns about Jones’ high strikeout rates and lack of contact, though, so relying on him right away would come with risks.
“He’s earned, without a doubt, the look in the competition, but again, it all depends on how many opportunities exist based on the decisions that come out of this winter,” Cashman said of Jones last month. “But he’s put himself in a position to be considered a potential everyday major leaguer in 2026.”
