Lefty Slugger May End Up Being Steal for Yankees

Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer sent New York Yankees fans into a tizzy. Even Michael Kay, who has been critical of fans being critical of the team, got on their Grisham decision.

It was fair, considering most understand the reality of the current incarnation of the team. These Yankees have self-imposed spending limits and Grisham could have gotten in the way of more fruitful pursuits, such as Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette.

As it turns out, both are now off the board, and the Bombers had little interest in either, especially given the prices they fetched. It's the unfortunate nature of this era of the Yankees.

Whether they should have used their biggest strength, which is financial might, in pursuit of the two stars is another topic of conversation altogether. In terms of what value Grisham brings, they made out okay with him. At least on paper, they did.

Oct 1, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) celebrates his double against the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning of game two of the Wildcard round of the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Grisham's Dollars vs. the Rest of the Market

That is especially the case if Scott Boras finally finds more than one suitor for Cody Bellinger. What he gets remains to be seen, but he will most likely surpass the $22 million Grisham is expected to earn in 2026. He will also secure a multi-year deal, unlike the singular year Grisham has, which will make it easy to move off of him mid-season in case of an emergency — that emergency being, he's flat-out terrible.

Years aside, nobody will ever say Grisham has the superior bat to either Bichette or Tucker unless something goes seriously wrong with either, but if he repeats or has close to the year he had in 2025, his accepting that qualifying offer becomes a bit more palatable in comparison to what those guys will earn over the course of their deals.

Tucker earned himself a $57,180,000 AAV through 2029, with opt-outs available after 2028. Bichette, who will play in Flushing just as his father once did, has a three-year deal with an AAV of $42 million. He can opt out after a year.

Chicago Cubs outfielde Kyle Tucker — Oct 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs' Kyle Tucker (30) watches his solo home run off Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Robert Gasser (54) during the seventh inning during game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Network v

Grisham is, by and large, the third-best bat of the three, but if he hits over 20+ homers, has at least a 120 wRC+, and is between a 2 and 3 WAR, according to Fangraphs, that's a steal in this market. Last year, Grisham had a 129 wRC+, which isn't so far removed from Bichette's 134 wRC+. If Bichette does opt out after that first year, and both repeat or come close to their 2025 numbers, the two sluggers will be headed to free agency at the same time, and Grisham will have earned about half of what he does in 2026.

Tucker is arguably one of the ten best bats in the league, and his 136 wRC+ is likely due to injury, which is a remarkable feat in itself that he was 36% better than league average, being as banged up as he was at one point. It isn't hard to see him flirting with a wRC+ in the 140s or 150s, especially in a Los Angeles Dodgers machine that seems to get the most out of players. If he gets close to that 136 wRC+, though, and Grisham repeats, as it was with Bichette, that's even more of a steal.

The Sad Reality of Today's Yankees

With all that said, a better outcome would have been the Yankees coming away with Grisham and then Bichette or Tucker. A team actually looking to improve, with the resources the Yankees have, should have put up a better fight for at least Bichette, even if they felt they couldn't match what the Mets or Dodgers did with Tucker.

Looking at the Yankees through the lens of Hal Steinbrenner, Grisham, on paper, is great value in the end. He can sleep peacefully with Grisham, knowing a $100 million bill to the city is looming.

One day, the Yankees may be owned by an evil billionaire again. They may not have Guggenheim money, but most will settle for someone like Jeff Bezos if they can be more frequently involved in on stars again.

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