The New York Yankees outfield could look much different in 2026, with Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger both free agents.
Both outfielders were key parts of the Yankees’ success, but Grisham appears more likely to walk in free agency. With free agency now open, insider Anthony Franco of MLBTradeRumors predicts Grisham will sign a four-year, $66 million deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.
“In the course of a single season, Trent Grisham shifted his appeal from his glove to his bat. That transformation is going to make him a lot more money than anyone could’ve anticipated in spring training,” Franco wrote. …
“Unwilling to pay Grisham more than $5MM a year ago, the Yankees were forced to decide whether his offensive explosion justifies more than quadrupling his salary. The club is faced with the potential loss of two starting outfielders, given Bellinger’s free agency. They chose to issue Grisham a qualifying offer, seeking either some center field certainty for 2026 if he accepts, or draft pick compensation after the fourth round if he signs elsewhere. Several other teams figure to seek help in center field, including the Angels, Giants, Rays, Orioles, Dodgers, Mets, and Phillies.”
Grisham would be the Rays’ starting center fielder and add some more power to the top of the order. With the Yankees last season, he hit .235 with 34 home runs and 74 RBIs.
Yankees Extend Qualifying Offer to Grisham
After a stellar season in 2025, the Yankees extended Grisham a qualifying offer.
Grisham has until Nov. 18 to decide if he will accept the one-year, $22.025 million contract. If he declines, he will be a free agent, but any team that signs him will have to give up a draft pick, while the Yankees will get a compensatory pick.
The slugger getting a qualifying offer comes after he was considered a non-tender candidate last offseason. But he took a $500,000 pay cut to agree to a $5 million pre-tender deal to remain with the Yankees for 2025.
Now, after a great season, Grisham can either accept the QO and take $22.05 million for one season or try to secure a lucrative multi-year deal.
Grisham is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner.
New York Looking to Build a Different Team
The Yankees were eliminated in the ALDS by the Toronto Blue Jays.
After New York was eliminated, many fans called for sweeping changes to the roster. Yet, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman made it clear the team wouldn’t be rebuilding, and he believes the team could take a page out of the Blue Jays‘ book and rely on more contact than power.
“One thing we always fight is that we rely too much on the home run,” Cashman said to The Athletic. “But the team that out-homers the other team always moves on in the postseason, and that’s a fact. You also need contact. You need it all.”
Cashman, meanwhile, made it clear the Yankees’ goal in 2026, like every year, is to win a World Series.
“No matter what, every year we’ve got to find a way to make our team bigger, better and stronger than it was the year before,” Cashman said. “Our intent is to always try to win the World Series.”
New York hasn’t won the World Series since 2009.
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