What exactly are the New York Yankees doing with Trent Grisham?
The New York Yankees need to ask themselves a serious question: exactly what value does Trent Grisham bring to the table these days?
Heading into Tuesday night's matchup with the Los Angeles Angels, Grisham was mired in a 2-for-36 slump. He owns a .209/.307/.397 slash line. He owns a minus-8 DRS and a minus-6 OAA in center field.
The Yankees retained Grisham on a $22 million qualifying offer last winter after a breakout 2025 campaign that saw him smash 34 home runs to go along with an .811 OPS. But this year, the 29-year-old has come crashing back down to earth.
His slash line is actually in line with his career norms (.216/.319/.399), so it's not like his 2026 showing is an outlier. No; that was last year. And let's also remember that Grisham hit under .200 three straight seasons between 2022 and 2024.
There was a time when Grisham was an elite defender, but those days are now long gone.
To be quite frank, the only true value he brings is his ability to walk, as he lays claim to a 12.6 percent walk rate this season. Otherwise? There is absolutely no reason for Grisham to be starting over Spencer Jones.
Once Aaron Judge returns (hopefully) later this month, New York will have a decision to make. Does it keep Grisham as the starting center fielder? Or will it make the switch to Jones, who appears to be a potential cornerstone piece moving forward?
The answer should be simple, but nothing is ever simple for the Yankees these days.
New York has far too much loyalty to its own players. Just look at Austin Wells. And while the Yankees pulled the plug on Anthony Volpe after the trade deadline, many would argue that it took them far too long to make a change there.
It seems like New York is headed down the same road with Grisham, who has actually been a disappointment for a former first-round pick.
Grisham is slated to hit free agency again this offseason, and the probability is that he will not return. So why not start making the transition to Jones now?
