New York Yankees' Trent Grisham Nightmare is Worse Than You Think

The New York Yankees made the controversial decision to bring back outfielder Trent Grisham on a $22 million qualifying offer for 2026, which followed Grisham's breakout campaign in which he smashed 34 home runs to go along with an .811 OPS.

At the time, many questioned the move. Was Grisham really worth $22 million? Would he replicate his 2025 success? Would the decision prevent the Yankees from adding other pieces? Would Grisham block youngsters Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones?

Prior to last season, Grisham was never much of a hitter. He batted under .200 the preceding three campaigns, and he owns a lifetime .217/.321/.397 slash line. So perhaps his power display last year was a bit of a fluke?

Well, thus far in 2026, Grisham looks nothing like the slugger we saw last spring. Through 49 plate appearances, the 29-year-old is slashing .158/.347/.237. The walks are nice, sure, but that's about it.

Yes, it's still very early in the season, so there is plenty of time for Grisham to turn things around. But you can't help but wonder if the lefty has reverted back to his prior form.

Here's the problem: there is no clear solution to replace Grisham in the outfield.

Jasson Dominguez is probably first on deck, and yes, he is tearing it up in Triple-A right now. But his defensive struggles have also continued, so while his bat may be an upgrade, he could seriously hurt the Yankees in the field.

New York re-signed Cody Bellinger on a five-year deal to man left field; not to play center, where he loses significant value. So not only would Dominguez's defense in left field be a problem, but Bellinger is a far worse defender in center than in left.

Then there's Spencer Jones, who tore the cover off the ball in Spring Training, but is batting .195 with 21 strikeouts over 50 trips to the dish in Triple-A.

The same issues that have plagued Jones for so long seem pronounced in the early stages of 2026, so it's probably too soon to call him up to the big leagues.

For now, the Yankees are probably stuck with Grisham in center field. Surely, they'll be patient with him, if not for how well he performed last year, then due to the fact that he is making a big chunk of cash this season.

But if things continue heading south with Grisham, New York may have to consider an alternative ... and none of them are particularly appealing right now.

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