Trent Grisham Reveals True Intention for Yankees Return

It was a surprise when Trent Grisham accepted the qualifying offer from the New York Yankees but now he is here for one more year.

Sep 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (12) flies out against the Minnesota Twins during the sixth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

One of the big plot points for the New York Yankees this winter was the return of Trent Grisham. Much was made of his accepting the qualifying offer, and some have hypothesized that the organization did it with the belief that Grisham would not accept.

While some saw Grisham's return as a surprise, the question of whether they should or shouldn't have done it is irrelevant now. Grisham is here for one more year, and the Yankees are hoping they get the same production from him at the plate in 2026 as they did last year — or at least close to the same production.

Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham (12) hits a single in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

NJ.com's Randy Miller spoke with Grisham this week, and the centerfielder revealed his intentions for accepting the QO. According to him, the reason was simple. He believes the Yankees give him his best chance to win.

"I want to win," Grisham told Miller. "That's really what the driving factor was. I'm a firm believer of if you keep playing this game long enough, the money takes care of itself. That's never the biggest factor for me."

Grisham also cited the market as another reason why he returned to the Yankees. He wasn't sure how the offseason would play out.

"I did my due diligence and saw what was going on in the market, but at the end of the day, it's about winning for me," Grisham continued. "I felt like this place really cares about winning and wants to do it every year. The guys in this clubhouse are very talented and have that focus. So that's really what drew me back. I love the guys and wanted to come back."

Grisham's Peripherals

One thing the Yankees are hoping for is that Grisham wasn't just a one-hit wonder. Outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Grisham hasn't had a single year where he hit at or above league average until 2025.

There are reasons to believe that what Grisham did last year wasn't an anomaly, though. Grisham ranked in the 91st percentile in xw0BA and xSLG, according to Baseball Savant. He also had an average exit velocity in the 75th percentile and a barrel rate in the 89th percentile.

The one downside was that Grisham saw a regression on defense. Last season, he had a -2 Outs Above Average at centerfield, which is unlike Grisham, who has always been a premier defender at that position in the league. It is funny to see that the year he finally hit, it was his glove that took a hit.

Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!