Trent Grisham Playing Himself Out of New York With Cold Stretch

This could be the last the New York Yankees see of Trent Grisham if he doesn't turn things around.

New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham (12) needs to get his act together at the plate and in the field before it's too late. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Yankees extending the qualifying offer to Trent Grisham this past offseason was met with turbulence. It left fans frustrated and media personalities around the team, like Michael Kay, more confused about it when he accepted. It made sense considering the year he had and that his underlying metrics showed he wasn't having a fluke season.

Unfortunately for Grisham, he isn't having anything close to his 2025 season, and since returning from the injured list, his numbers have been so bad that he is falling well below the league average mark. This season, he is hitting .211/.310/.379 with a 96 wRC+.

According to the 100 Plate Appearance Rolling xwOBA chart on Baseball Savant, even the underlying metrics are showing a slide. On July 19th, he had a .392 xwOBA, which looked to be the high-water mark of the season. Since his most recent game, it's down to .292 and continuing to drop.

Grisham's initial slump at the beginning of the year can be chalked up to bad luck. Right now, he's just flat-out bad.

Grisham's overall numbers under the hood are good, but not as great as they were when he finished 2025. This year he has a .247 xBA, .428 xSLG, a 90.4 MPH average exit velocity, a 9.3% barrel rate, and a 44.2% hard-hit rate.

If he doesn't turn things around, it's hard to believe the Yankees are thinking about bringing him back next year.

New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham is mired in a bad slump, which could lead to the team not re-signing him in free agency. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

More troubles than hitting

Since Grisham already accepted the qualifying offer last year, he isn't eligible for one now. Not that it seems like the Yankees would even think of tendering one if they could. It could be the injuries, or it could be a matter of a player regressing to the mean after a career year last season, but Grisham hasn't shown he should get the type of payday he had last year.

The only likely scenario for a team signing him is a one-year pact, potentially in the $10 million or less range. A few years back, the Yankees kept bringing Brett Gardner back on those types of deals, but the difference between Grisham and Gardy at this point is that Gardy could field his position. Not only is Grisham having trouble hitting and looks more like the player the Padres had, but he is also having struggles in center field.

In that final game against the St. Louis Cardinals, he misplayed a ball, allowing two runs to score. That ended up being the difference in the game. That gaffe reflects where Grisham's defense is right now, which has long been his calling card. He is currently a 16th-percentile defender with -3 Outs Above Average, and, at this point, is better suited as a corner outfielder.

If Grisham can't hit or field, where does that leave him in the Yankees' plans? 2027 is in question with a lockout, and if they do manage to figure out a way to bring baseball back, it doesn't feel like Brian Cashman will tender Grisham a contract. Keeping Spencer Jones at the deadline was one telltale sign.