The New York Yankees have extended one Qualifying Offer this offseason, and its to breakout star Trent Grisham who clubbed a career-high 34 home runs in 2025.
He was traded to New York alongside Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres, and in 2025 he put up his best season to date as the team’s primary leadoff hitter.
Grisham will have until late-November to decide whether he will accept or decline the offer, an interesting move by the Yankees who risk him accepting it and being a $22 million hit to their Luxury Tax payroll.
After recording an .811 OPS in his age-28 season, Grisham finds himself in an interesting situation as an under-30 free agent who could look for a multi-year deal on the market.
READ MORE: Yankees legend steps away from Blue Jays’ coaching job, open to new opportunities
Trent Grisham Receives Qualifying Offer, Yankees Take Gamble
After an underwhelming 2024 season where Trent Grisham hit just nine home runs with a .290 OBP in 76 games for the Yankees, he followed it up by being the team’s second-best home run hitter.
The unexpected power surge was fueled by an open outfield slot left behind by Juan Soto and an early-season injury to Giancarlo Stanton which opened up playing time at DH.
His 34 home runs and .811 OPS will make him one of the top-performing hitters on the market, but there are concerns with him long-term that make this decision intruiging.
Grisham was worth -11 DRS and -3 Fielding Run Value with decreasing Sprint Speed numbers, as he’s become slower and less effective as a defender in centerfield.
Furthermore, projections expect Grisham to regress offensively from a middle-of-the-order hitter, as this was by far the best year of his career.
If he were to accept the Qualifying Offer, the Yankees would find themselves in a scenario where a pursuit of Cody Bellinger could be compromised.
I would expect Grisham to ultimately reject the QO; this was the best year of his career and it’s the best time to cash-in and take a multi-year contract.
It wouldn’t be outrageous to think a team could offer the 29-year-old Grisham a three-year contract at around $45 million a year, as he could play an excellent corner outfield if centerfield is no longer an option.
The Yankees would get draft compensation if Trent Grisham were to sign elsewhere, and that does create an incentive to let him walk in free agency.