Trent Grisham’s Breakout Season Warrants A Big Payday

Losing Juan Soto to their crosstown rivals in Queens was a tough blow for the New York Yankees heading into 2025. But little did they know that the next best thing was already waiting in the wings (well, on the bench). Averaging 124 games per year as a starter with the San Diego Padres, outfielder Trent Grisham was relegated to the role of the Yankees’ fourth outfielder in his first season with New York. This year, he’s proving to the club, as well as the league, that this was a big mistake.

Trent Grisham’s Breakout Season Warrants A Big Payday

Though Grisham is certainly not on Soto’s level, at least offensively, he’s been almost just as valuable, posting a fWAR of 3.0 compared to Soto’s mark of 4.9. The two-time Gold Glove winner provides excellent defense in center field, but now, his breakout with the bat makes him perhaps one of the league’s most well-rounded center fielders. The 28-year-old has 29 home runs after hitting his third grand slam of the season on Tuesday against the Houston Astros, as well as an OPS of .839, 73 runs, and 61 RBIs. In short, Grisham has surprisingly broken out, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Yankees.

Pending Payday

Entering free agency this winter, Grisham is proving that he is a true all-around center fielder. Though he has -1 outs above average (OAA) this season, his career total currently sits at 39, which is 10th among all Major League outfielders since he debuted in 2019. And, despite entering this season with a career OPS of .697, Grisham has more than doubled his career high in homers (previously 13) and will more than likely set career highs in OPS, RBI’s, runs, hits, and walks.

This will almost guarantee him a well-deserved payday this winter. However, this spells bad news for New York, at least if they intend to keep Grisham. Employing a four-man outfield for practically the whole season, the Yankees will have to make some difficult decisions concerning their plans for the outfield.

Crowded House

With Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Jasson Dominguez taking up the other outfield spots, Grisham was the odd man out before he decided to start slugging from out of nowhere. That won’t change next season; assuming the Yankees retain Bellinger (which is a big question in itself), they will also have to address Spencer Jones, one of their top prospects who has been on an absolute tear in Triple-A. If he has a solid spring, it’s possible that they promote him to the big league club, and even then, he would likely be the fourth outfielder.

In other words, unless the Yankees commit to Grisham as their starting center fielder, it’s unlikely that they’ll attempt to re-sign him. Of course, there’s also the risk that his offensive performance this season is a fluke, which could lead to them overpaying for his services.

It’s Not Over Yet

Even though it doesn’t appear that Grisham fits into the Yankees’ outfield past this season, he still has a chance to change their minds. If he performs well through September and in the postseason, they may have no choice but to at least attempt to bring him back to the Bronx. If they don’t, well, then he will certainly receive offers/interest from plenty of teams in free agency. Regardless, Grisham’s out-of-the-blue breakout has undoubtedly been one of New York’s most welcomed surprises this season.