New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay questioned the club’s decision to extend Trent Grisham a qualifying offer, calling it the kind of one-year deal that can still be “bad” if it crowds out bigger priorities. “There is such a thing as a bad one-year contract if it keeps you from doing other things,” Kay said on The Michael Kay Show, noting how left-handed the Yankees’ lineup already skews.
“There is such a thing as a bad one-year contract if it keeps you from doing other things,” Kay said during his show.
The offer is $22.025 million for 2026. Grisham has until Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. ET. If he declines and signs elsewhere, New York receives draft-pick compensation; if he accepts, the Yankees take the full 2026 cap hit.
Grisham hit 34 home runs and carried an.812 OPS this season. He had been a glove-first outfielder with a.216 average, 76 homers and two Gold Gloves across 643 games through early 2025. Last year, he jumped to a.235 average with 34 homers and an.811 OPS, along with a career-best 14.1% walk rate that boosted his on-base value. The biggest change was the quality of contact, according to Baseball Savant. His Statcast averages spiked to 91.1 mph exit velocity with a 46.4% hard-hit rate and 14.2% barrel rate—career highs that explain the power surge.
If he accepts, they’re on the hook for a top-20 AAV in 2026 in an already crowded outfield. The club’s projected 2026 outfield already includes Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez, and possibly prospect Spencer Jones.
Kay’s wider point is about opportunity cost in a winter when New York’s outfield already projects to feature Aaron Judge, Jasson Dominguez and potentially Spencer Jones. At the same time, the front office weighs runs at Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker. Paying top-20 money for outfield depth could limit flexibility, especially with owner Hal Steinbrenner repeatedly questioning the need to sustain a $300-plus million payroll to win.
“If you’re grossly overpaying for a player, that’s money you can’t spend somewhere else,” Kay said.
If Brian Cashman is truly going after Bellinger or Tucker, then this seems like a strange move, as Kay said. A QO-year cap hit for a guy who had one breakout year (and then faded in the playoffs) and whose defense is declining risks being a luxury that blocks a bigger swing.
“It’s not an unlimited budget… There is such a thing as a bad one-year contract if it inhibits you from doing other things,” Kay argued.
