From Bryan Hoch:
Outfielder Trent Grisham accepted the qualifying offer from the Yankees, valued at $22.025 million, on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old Grisham was the only Yankee to receive the offer, which represents a significant raise over his $5 million salary this past season.
This is not bad news. Grisham LONG TERM is a bad thing. Grisham on a one-year deal is fine.
This shouldn’t impact them signing Kyle Tucker. I mean, they weren’t signing Kyle Tucker anyways, but whether or not they signed Kyle Tucker, it wasn’t going to be because of a one-year deal to Trent Grisham.
They are likely going to re-sign Bellinger instead of Tucker, which was likely what they were going to do anyways.
So this doesn’t affect that, it just means they have another year of Grisham, who was very good last year.
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That means the saboteur has committed $38 million in 2026 to McMahon and Grisham. Surely that should get an AL East title.
The deals only matter if it prevents them from signing someone else, and I don’t think that it will. I’m sure that Cash told Hal that this was a possibility.
It’s hard to say $22 Million won’t be an obstacle. Cash says they want Bellinger. If he reverses his defensive decline and hits close to what he did last year, not so bad. Having Grisham and The Martian both of whom can’t hit lefties is a problem.
this was my concern with the mcmahon deal.
i don’t think it’s fair to say that this deal is only bad if it prevents another signing because it is simply another contract that we will wait to get off the books, like dj, hicks, stanton, stro etc etc etc
having overpaid people that don’t produce is a liability and you can’t make the same mistake over and over. hopefully he goes HAM and the 22M is an easy pill to swallow for a year. I just quite prefer Tucker to Belli as an expensive league average hitter – at first, most likely – in two years.
i really don’t see the appeal.
No surprises so far
The Yankees on Tuesday selected the contracts of outfielder Spencer Jones and righties Elmer Rodriguez and Chase Hampton,
There are way too many good guys not available for the Rule 5 draft. Very annoying.
Can’t they just DFA Effross or someone?
Yankee Go Yard For now — for NOW — the Yankees have one spot available for high-minors relievers Eric Reyzelman and Harrison Cohen, as well as Hueston Morrill, who was named the Best Bullpen Arm in the South Atlantic League by Baseball America this year.
None of these guys were protected.
Joe Vasile Twitter After adding Hampton, Jones and Rodríguez to the 40-man, the Yankees have seven Top 30 prospects eligible for the Rule 5 Draft:
LHP Henry Lalane, LHP Brock Selvidge, RHP Brendan Beck, OF Jace Avina, 1B T.J. Rumfield, RHP Eric Reyzelman and RHP Harrison Cohen.
Henry Lalane?? Not that long he was touted as the next BIG thing. Protecting Ian Hamilton, Effross and Winans.
That’s what I don’t get. Is there a reason they can’t just cut, say, that middle infield guy they picked up as a DFA last year?
Braden Shewmake, age 28, 31 career games 118 BA, hit 244 in AAA last year. Huge upside.
Lalane has thrown 143 innings since 2021, he’s always hurt.
LaLane is still a long way away. For a team that picks him in the rule 5, they’ll need him on the MLB team all season. It is unlikely someone will take that gamble.
I forgot about that.
Jasson 1-5 in his Dominican debut on Monday.
slow clap, crashman
Okay, I see that you CAN DFA dudes to make room for the Rule 5 guys. Okay, Yankees, how about you just fucking DO that. There is no reason for Braden Shewmake to have a spot on the 40-man!
I think they have 2 open spots on the 40 man already.
Athletic: Saitama Seibu Lions officially posted 27-year-old pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who immediately becomes one of the top free agent pitchers on the market, he profiles similarly to Kodai Senga, Yusei Kikuchi, and Hiroki Kuroda, and is expected to slot in as a middle-of-the-rotation starter on competitors. Numerous reports have tied the Yankees to Imai, who does not appear to be a target of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Sources briefed on the agreements said NBC/Peacock is expected to pay nearly $200 million per year, while Netflix will dole out $50 million per season. MLB will receive almost $750 million per year in total over the next three seasons, compared to ESPN’s $1.65 billion, if there were no opt-outs. NBC’s deal includes some ratings bonus clauses that could make the exact number fluctuate, but will not exceed $200 million, the sources said.
“The arrangement allows MLB to join the NFL and NBA on NBC’s Sunday Night franchise. When there are conflicts with football and basketball, baseball will only be on Peacock.”
Another brilliant stroke from Manfred in his never-ending quest to ruin the sport he clearly detests, from the inside.
Who here believes last year was Bellinger’s new baseline? That Bellinger is likely to be better than he was last year?
Is the point to show that their aspiration is to tread water, rather than improve?
Why would you NOT go for Tucker? What, exactly, is the plan for improving the offense?
(It’s a rhetorical question, obviously they DON’T plan to improve the offense.)
Tread Water. Make Money. That’s the mantra.
Bellinger has DJLM written all over him.
And Brian, of course Grisham “was good last year.” That’s what career years look like. How likely is it that he’ll reproduce that? If it’s not likely, then why do it?
It’s not AS bad as a long-term contract, but reupping on all the players who very likely overperformed (in Grisham’s case, probably by a lot) last year is a recipe for a WORSE offense next year.
They lead the league in scoring last season. Why would you NOT want to recreate a big part of that offense on an extremely short term deal?
If Dominguez forces his way into the everyday lineup, then Grisham can sit on the bench. He’ll be gone after the season anyways.
I don’t see the downside with this move.
60M tied up on G, Hicks, DJ, Grisham. The last 22 of which could have been spent on tucker.
yes it’s only for 1 year but the 2025 had the 9th best record against teams over .500.
Grisham especially looks exposed against top talent.
That.
You wouldn’t recreate that offense because it really is exposed against better pitching, and the point is to get better.
And if you were going to recreate it, you wouldn’t pay out for exactly those players blindingly obviously (Grisham) or very likely (Bellinger) to regress. Not looking like a strategy to get better.
And you see now downside? This is not an organization capable of not playing players they’re paying unless they’re absolutely, agonizingly forced to. If you include that, there IS a downside.
Finally, I’d LOVE Dominguez to break out, but are you counting on that? I see no REASON to count on it. So I’d leave that aside.
oh i forgot to complain again mcmahon
🙂
Buy high, sell low.
Move slow and above all don’t break anything.
MLBTR Blue Jays, Dodgers Interested In Cody Bellinger.
The Dodgers, by special dispensation of Bud Selig, have 323 roster spots now, I’ve heard.
The weirdly odd 2025 of Trent Grisham, He hit a lot better on the road.
https://www.mlb.com/news/where-top-free-agent-outfielders-might-fit-2026
In other words, there’s no particular reason to think Grisham will suck in 2026.
No reason? Does his career not count as a reason? If he turns back into the player he was 2022-2024…
Brian, I have to agree with SD. Maybe I’m missing your logic? How exactly does an analysis of home and road splits suggest that Grisham’s sudden increase in offensive output is predictive of future performance – more predictive than his entire (and substantial) body of work up to last year?
Conversely, I don’t think anyone doubts that the evidence of h is plummeting defense really IS predictive. Unfortunately.
All of his rate stats were good. In other words, he did not have a fluke season. His success was based on underlying improvements across the board. There’s no reason to think that those improvements would go away one year later. I wouldn’t want the guy locked up long term, but any reasonable estimation of the guy would think he’ll have a decent 2026.
In fact, the analysis in that article explains exactly why there is every reason to think that Grisham will not be this good next year.
Bellinger’s improvement, the article posits, is possibly sustainable, because the change has an explanation – a benefit from the change in ballparks.
Grisham is playing WORSE at home. What the article argues is that the reason it advances for thinking Bellinger might be able to sustain this level does NOT apply to Grisham.
Brian, I may not agree, but I appreciate the answer.
Isn’t it implying the home numbers are suspect? it’s not a baseball law that you have to hit better at home. Also I skimmed the info.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote this week that some rival teams feel the Blue Jays are the likeliest landing spot for the four-time All-Star. They’ve been a popular speculative pick early on after a deep World Series run and with only one other major long-term commitment (Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) on the books. Of course, Bo Bichette could be the priority, and it’s rare for any team to sign two free agents of that magnitude in a single offseason.
Bichette will get paid well over his worth, I’m sure. Had his bast year in his FA season with the 840 OPS, although an awful season defensively.
https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/3401886/report-red-sox-interested-in-signing-bichette
The downside of this is this brings their payroll to $280M to a team that is sitting at the $310ish range consistently the last few years. So Tucker is probably out and Bellinger is likely the only move. That means C, 3B, SS, all remain unchanged with Rice at 1B. On top of that Bellinger and Grisham are both likely to regress.
They didn’t have the payroll flex ability to gamble he would accept the QO.
There is absolutely zero chance that Grisham taking the QO knocked them out of the running for Tucker. None. It’s not even within the slightest realm of possibility that they offered Grisham the QO thinking, “Shit, hope he doesn’t say yes, in which case we can’t sign Tucker.”
That doesn’t mean that they weren’t already out on Tucker, of course. Which IS annoying. I’m annoyed that they seem to be more interested in signing Bellinger than Tucker. But there is no way that one year of Grisham factored into their thinking on a 10-year Tucker contract.
it really is another indictment of cashman. he gambled pretty big and lost. all he had to do is get tucker and imai and the offseason would be a success and now if he can’t rapidly rearrange the deck chairs the season is kind of over before it begins.
and grisham could do great and it still wouldn’t put them over the top. there have been too many spendy moves that haven’t worked out, absolutely astounding he still has a job.
You guys will find anything to rip Cashman. If you think they didn’t want Grisham and only offered the QO for him to decline so they could get a 4th round draft pick and that his accepting is a wrench in the gears… you’re an idiot.
i’ve been called worse by better people.
cashman’s reign is long expired. misreading this market is the latest proof, nothing more or less.
Bellinger… I worry about. He was good in 2023 too, but declined again in 2024. And then there were a lot of years between 2019 and 2023. I can’t confidently predict who he will be.
Tuckers injuries the last 2 seasons, give me a bit of pause, but overall, he is the much better player. I’m not sure I’d take the risk and give him the contract he might get, but still. He is much more consistent in his production and high level of play over his career…
But they are just 2 players, that represent 1 choice. The $22M could have been used to get a full time 1B that would allow Rice to shift back to C. Get a 3B, or a replacement for Volpe, or more bullpen help for Bednar.
You could also be giving Domingez a full shot. If you fill in the other holes in the line up which you don’t have cheap options for with competent, non scrap heap players, you can take a shot with Jasson for a full year (with Spencer as a potential plan B).
But the Yankees are going do a combination of rolling it back and dumpster diving to fill in the 3B, SS, 1B/C, and bullpen now and hope they catch lightning in a bottle in enough of those places.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind the $22M if the plan was to let Bellinger walk and give Jasson CF if you use the money in those other places.
@Knucle – do you have any evidence that they expected Grisham not to accept? You’re just throwing shit out there at random. it doesn’t fit in with the Yankees M.O. at all to offer the Q.O. hoping for it to be declined, I have no memory of them getting burned by this in the past. if you don’t want Grisham at all fine but if you’re going to argue they were certain he’d decline and now have to pivot then you need to support it.
https://x.com/nypostsports/status/1990950664411758886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1990950664411758886%7Ctwgr%5E6885369dea0d43b7bd4cd5ed3e6de28d8790c7b6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnypost.com%2F2025%2F11%2F19%2Fsports%2Ffurious-yankees-fan-goes-on-radio-rant-after-trent-grisham-return%2F
people in the fo were “somewhat surprised”
it’s cool, we can pay 52 to grish and belli instead of 40 and figuring it out for tucker. i have absolute faith in the architect of this team to burn money while doing just enough to get us in the postseason each year where we can continue to beat up on the AL central and no one else.
Maybe they don’t think they need Tucker because they’re planning trade for Kwan and Tatis, Jr.?
Hahaha.
Particularly aesthetically appealing is the rising prediction that Tucker will be signed by the Blue Jays.
So imagine watching the Yankees “pursue” the goal of retaining (=not improving upon) the offense that folded to the Jays, as the Jays to add Tucker.
It’s a great look for the great New York Yankees, Cashman.
…
On those same lines, about as irritating a quote of Cashman as I could imagine: “GM Brian Cashman indicated this week that Trent Grisham’s decision to accept his qualifying offer will not impact the team’s pursuit of…
…Bellinger.”
Benefit of the doubt, it could be that Cashman is posturing as a negotiating tactic lest the price get too high too soon, and he’ll swoop in last minute with Hal’s blessing. But I don’t think it’s an effective tactic. I’m sure there are already several high-spending teams that will go after Tucker, Belli, or both.
If Cashman and Hal are truly content with Grisham and Bellinger, then the complacency is demoralizing.
These guys weren’t good enough last year. And as you have pointed out, Pete, they’re specifically inadequate against good pitching. It’s like the FO doesn’t realize that the overall offensive numbers are padded by blowouts against sub-.500 teams, and the playoff opposition is over-.500 teams, and it takes different skill sets to beat the best. Can you imagine today’s Yankee squad taking *any* games from prime Pedro Martinez the way the 1998-2000 squad did?
I think it’s unfortunate that both Tucker and Bellinger are represented by Boras.
I’m usually dubious about arguments like that – that the offense is good, but bad against better pitching, I usually imagine that those things might not fly statistically.
Eventually, though, reality makes itself too clear to be discounted.
What else do you expect from a saboteur?
Relax Waldo back 1.2M/1
https://www.mlb.com/news/sung-mun-song-posted-for-mlb-free-agency
Clarke 1/4.5M
Depending on the contract, I wouldn’t mind the Yankees picking up the now non-tendered Jonah Heim. Switch-hitting catcher to give Wells a righty side to the platoon.