The New York Post reported that the qualifying offer for the 2026 season will be $22 million. That number is up from $21.05 million from last year.
For the New York Yankees, this could be what they have to pay Trent Grisham.
Some believe that Grisham will test the free agency market, looking for a massive deal. That'll likely be the case, barring the Yankees already having an offer in front of him that wouldn't be the qualifying offer.
However, at 28 years old, if he accepts the $22 million, one-year deal, he could view 2026 as another opportunity to increase his eventual payday.
Could Trent Grisham stay with the Yankees?
When considering the situation, FanSided’s Stephen Perello noted that a one-year gamble could be the best for both parties. He added that it’d give the Yankees an opportunity to see if Grisham is truly this type of player, further adding that Grisham could view this as a great opportunity to hit the free agency market the following winter.
“A one-year gamble might be the best for both sides. For the Yankees, it would give them the chance to see if Grisham's breakout is real, while Grisham could hit the open market again after 2026 (heading into his age-30 campaign) potentially with two years of strong production driving his price tag up further.
“Tagging Grisham with the qualifying offer would likely hurt his chances at a long-term deal elsewhere. Other teams having the same concerns as the Yankees would likely have even greater pause if signing Grisham meant surrendering draft assets, meaning Grisham would likely accept the offer in order to re-enter free agency next offseason, free of any strings attached,” he wrote.
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From Grisham's perspective, it's better to secure the long-term money now if a team is willing to offer it. However, it remains uncertain just how much teams will value his one excellent year.
Outside of 2025, he's been an average player.