The New York Yankees have made their move at third base, but another domino could fall—this time, involving outfielder Trent Grisham.
This past weekend, the Yankees made noise by acquiring Ryan McMahon from the Rockies and Amed Rosario from the Nationals.
Those two arrivals brought stability to a hot corner that had long been a revolving door. McMahon brings power and glove, Rosario adds versatility.
With third base finally handled, the Yankees are turning their full attention to pitching as the deadline approaches.
They’re in clear need of at least one more starter, but the bullpen remains their biggest area of concern.
Aaron Judge’s Status Changes the Equation
The good news? Aaron Judge’s elbow injury didn’t damage his UCL, and he’s expected back within a few weeks.
That projection could give the Yankees some breathing room—and flexibility to trade Trent Grisham if the right deal arises.
Grisham, a free agent after the World Series, has been amazing for the Yankees this year with a 130 wRC+, 17 home runs, and 2.0 fWAR.
Current Outfield Mix Leaves Room to Move
Right now, the Yankees’ outfield includes Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton, Amed Rosario, and Jasson Dominguez.
Of course, Stanton’s own elbow concerns make using him regularly in the outfield a risky proposition.
That’s where the idea of trading Grisham gets sticky: it creates a short-term gap, but opens a long-term opportunity.
The Mets Could Be Interested—But There’s a Catch
Enter Andy Martino’s latest report, suggesting a potential crosstown deal with the New York Mets involving Grisham.
Martino posted on X that the Yankees have “laid groundwork” for dealing pending free agents, including Grisham.
He’s skeptical it’ll happen—but if it does, he argues Grisham would be a “great fit” in Queens, where the Mets badly need a center fielder.
As reported in yesterday’s column, Yankees have laid a little groundwork in trading free agents to be. I’m highly skeptical they’ll actually do it. Only happened once, in ‘16, and now they’re in playoff position. But if they somehow do, Trent Grisham is great fit for Mets.
— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) July 28, 2025
On paper, it sounds clean and logical. In reality, the trade math is murkier than it looks.
Mets’ Pitching Depth Presents Challenges
The Mets’ most pressing need is a center fielder, and Grisham is elite with the glove and highly competent with the bat.
However, the Mets don’t exactly have a bullpen surplus to tempt the Yankees into action.
Sure, there are arms available, but most come with caveats: health issues, cost, or lack of immediate impact.
Untouchables and Undesirables
Some Mets pitchers are borderline untouchable, like Kodai Senga, David Peterson, and Edwin Díaz—names New York simply won’t part with.
Others, like Frankie Montas, offer familiarity, but not necessarily in a good way—especially from the Yankees’ perspective.
Then there are young arms like Blade Tidwell, Brandon Sproat, or Nolan McLean, intriguing but likely off-limits for a short-term rental like Grisham.
No Easy Match, But Never Say Never
The Yankees aren’t asking for the moon, but they do want arms who can help right now—without adding more risk to an already fragile bullpen.
Even veterans like Sean Manaea or Brooks Raley might be either too expensive or too essential for the Mets to offload in a minor deal.
This isn’t a classic “match made in deadline heaven.” It’s more like two puzzle pieces from different boxes—somehow similar, but not quite fitting.
Still, this is baseball in July. The impossible becomes reality more often than you’d think.
If the Stars Align…
If the Yankees grow more confident in Judge’s health—or if Spencer Jones forces their hand, which he is basically doing right now—they could take a chance.
And if the Mets decide Grisham can stabilize their shaky center field, urgency might override hesitation.
There’s also an unspoken chess match happening: both New York teams need pitching, both are clearly contending, and neither wants to help the other too much.
But if the right reliever becomes available, or if the Yankees get creative in a larger deal, this conversation could heat up quickly.
Until then, the Trent Grisham-Mets rumor remains what it is: a compelling idea with a tough execution path.
READ MORE: How the Yankees could get the most out of new third baseman
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