Yankees Face Difficult Decision Whether to Retain Outstanding Outfielder in 2026
The Yankees are watching an outfielder having a milestone season in his contract year. He leads off against right-handed pitching and hits home runs regularly. He has been an offensive marvel and above average in the field. Trent Grisham has never routinely played before. At age 28, the numbers insist that testing those stats would unlock a hidden talent in their midst. It has worked out for the Yankees beyond all expectations. It has also created a problem of sorts.
The question is whether the Yankees want to retain Trent, gambling that one season is not an apparition. However, if they allow Trent to leave, Grisham is sure to be paid by someone based on the best season he has ever had. It's ironic that the player who once went by the last name of Clark has morphed into Superman. It speaks to his character. Trent may seem sloth-like in demeanor, but he is energetic when it counts. He was raised by a single mother, and to honor her, he legally changed his last name to his mother's maiden name of Grisham. He took it upon himself to take advantage of the opportunity of regular playing time, posting career numbers with 28 home runs, 64 walks, .354 OBP, and an OPS of .836. He went into this season with thoughts focused on reacting to challenges. “I went into the offseason with a mindset shift to be better equipped for failure,” Grisham explained, “I understood that failure is going to happen, and I have a plan to deal with it.” His performance has made the x-factor of the infamous trade for Juan Soto, which included Trent as a throw-in. Now, one year later, Grisham has outperformed the most expensive player in MLB.
His performances have nearly removed top Yankee Prospect Jasson Dominguez from the depth chart. The outfield is crowded with Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge, and Grisham filling out the starting spots. Grish, even when he stopped hitting home runs, has justified his existence with walks and his coverage of the vast expanses of MLB outfields. He can play all three positions equally well. The emergence of Spencer Jones has made Grisham a luxury that the Yankees will have to decide they want to keep. Looking at the future, Judge and Stanton will not be in the outfield that long. Jasson is not yet ready in left, and Jones can have center with Trent inheriting right or filling in left and center whenever called upon.
The adjustment that he made that has borne fruit is in the stance. He keeps his hands in similarly to the way Derek Jeter did to muscle inside pitches to the opposite field. The difference is that Trent drives inside pitches that lefties tend to watch for strikes and drives them out regularly. His stroke and mustache, and stride resemble a shorter and stockier Reggie Jackson. It would not surprise anyone that Grisham will thrive in October. He has proven often that he can hurt you when it counts and is the type of player you don't want to face late in a postseason game. Trent started like a ball of fire but leveled out mid-season. However, he has picked up the pace again, showing that he can be a legitimate everyday player in the lineup and in the field.
The man of steel has not shown the whole package yet. The Yankees have a clutch player whose faith has grounded him, bringing calm to his game, yet he still retains an aggressive edge. Grisham uses that aggression in the lead-off spot, smacking good offerings and taking walks when they don't challenge him. He runs down everything in the field and has a decent arm. The dilemma is that they will have to pay a respectable amount to retain him and cannot trade him now. He is young enough, but will he continue this level of play? He will have to hold off Jasson, who is in direct competition for the lead-off spot and outfield play, and is younger and trending upwards. If Grisham gives the Yankees a hometown discount, they will present that in a New York minute. If not, the Yankees have to hope that Jones and Dominguez will be ready now. He will have options, and someone will value Grisham if the Yankees do not.
