Trent Grisham was merely a throw-in from the San Diego Padres when he, and Juan Soto were traded to the New York Yankees in December 2023. Now, he’s become one of the team’s most important players.
Last season, Grisham couldn’t find playing time at all with the Yankees, appearing in just 76 games, slashing .190/.290/.385 with nine home runs and 31 RBI’s as the team’s fourth outfielder. This year, with Juan Soto, and Alex Verdugo gone, Grisham has taken full advantage of the opportunity. 2025 has been a career year for Grisham, slashing .238/.347/.474 with a career-high 33 home runs and 71 RBI’s.
Grisham’s unforeseen breakout could impact his free agency
After exceeding expectations massively, Grisham should have an interesting market ahead of him when he enters free agency this winter. Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Mintz ranked the 29-year-old as the 10th-best free agent available.
“Hidden beneath Grisham’s inspiring offensive breakout are a few signs of defensive decline,” Mintz said. “Grisham was never a burner, even when he ranked superbly in the grass, but his sprint speed has fallen down to the 30th percentile league-wide, making him the league’s slowest every-day center fielder. I think that will scare a few teams away and keep Grisham’s number under $100 million.”
For the Yankees, they’ll now be faced with a tougher decision than they probably initially thought when they first dealt for Grisham. The Yankees already have a crowded outfield as it is, and will also be faced with a decision on Cody Bellinger’s free agency as well. These factors could impact the Yankees motivation to hand Grisham a lucrative following an unexpected breakout season.