Could Trent Grisham’s 2025 Breakout Be Just the Beginning? Yankees’ Brian Cashman Thinks So After Qualifying Offer Acceptance

The buzz around the Yankees’ offseason just got a fresh jolt. Brian Cashman, the brain behind the Yankees’ baseball operations, recently dropped a line that’s stirring up quite the chatter—Trent Grisham’s decision to stick around via a qualifying offer won’t halt the team’s pursuit of a reunion with Cody Bellinger. Now, hold on a second, because while Cashman’s stance seems clear and steady, the fans? Not so much. The mood in the stands and the keyboard warriors online reveal a soupçon of skepticism, even frustration about this move.

The hovering question marks around Grisham’s future finally got answers this past Tuesday. The seasoned outfielder inked a one-year deal worth $22 million, locking in his place in the Yankees’ lineup for a third season. But this signing didn’t just close a chapter; it flipped the script and forced Cashman to reiterate his blueprint for the offseason to a chorus of critics.

Cashman’s message? First things first: lock down Grisham—a major bat and sterling defender returning to the fold. That, cashes one box for the Yankees’ roster needs. But he’s also waving the flag for Bellinger, another vital piece who walked away in free agency. This duality—keeping Grisham while still chasing Bellinger—has kept tongues wagging. Was Grisham’s acceptance a surprise? To some, yes; especially given the lean free-agent market outfield and Grisham’s potential to snatch a longer, multi-year contract elsewhere after his standout 2025. But Cashman? He saw the move as a near toss-up, with a 50-50 chance, and now he’s banking on the outfielder to replicate his power surge and impact despite his career batting average painting a different picture.

There’s a palpable sense of urgency — especially if prospects like Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones aren’t quite ready to fill the voids alongside Aaron Judge and Grisham. The Yankees know what they have in Bellinger: a proven, versatile powerhouse. Securing him won’t be a breeze, as multiple suitors are eyeing the former NL MVP, fresh off a compelling campaign that saw career-high WAR numbers and a low strikeout rate. The chess game is on, and Cashman’s moves this offseason are critical—and nothing short of fascinating.

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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recently said the return of Trent Grisham via the qualifying offer wouldn’t prevent the club from pursuing a reunion with Cody Bellinger. But his sentiment on the matter then hasn’t relaxed any fans bothered by the business decision now.

The speculation on Grisham’s future ended Tuesday, when the veteran outfielder accepted the one-year, $22 million contract that guaranteed him a third season in pinstripes. And just two days after the falling of what could be a heavy domino, Cashman had to restate his offseason plan to those criticizing the move.

“Our first order of business, we got Grisham in the fold. One of our big hitters and defenders is back, so that solves one area of our needs,” Cashman said Thursday, bundling up for his annual sleep on a Manhattan sidewalk for charity. “But we have two big important free agents who left us — Grisham was one, Bellinger was another. We’d love to have Bellinger back.”

Grisham’s choice raised eyebrows across the league. Not only was he one of just four players who took the qualifying offer (nine declined), but he was also positioned to land a multi-year deal in free agency and capitalize on a breakout 2025 campaign.

Of course, the Yankees were comfortable with Grisham potentially returning — after all, they extended him the contract two weeks ago. But the odds of the 29-year-old accepting it never seemed high, and therefore, Cashman is receiving outside flak for misreading the market value.

Cashman views the situation differently. He believes Grisham gives the Yankees “a little more comfort” and “a lot more certainty” as they search for players — via free agency or trade — to fill voids on their roster. He also wasn’t surprised by Grishman’s selection.

“I kind of thought 50-50 going into it when we made the offer,” Cashman said. “We wouldn’t have been surprised if he turned it down because it’s a very weak outfield market… It was a close call. We made the offer because we thought if he takes it, we’d be fine if he took it and excited he’s coming back because we believe he’s capable of replicating what he did last year.”

No matter how the winter plays out for the Yankees, they’re banking on Grisham providing the same 30-homer, short-porch power he produced during a career season. But the back of Grisham’s baseball card suggests his 2025 numbers were merely an aberration, as he’s a career .218 hitter.

No surprise, Cashman disagrees. The Yankees anticipate an upward trajectory for Grisham, even though the baseline metrics and eye test indicate otherwise.

“All the support information backs up the changes he made are real and should continue,” Cashman said. “He did it all [in New York] and he was doing home and road too. It wasn’t just the Yankee Stadium effect. It came unexpected. Thankful it did.”

The Yankees’ sights remain on Bellinger, and if they aren’t confident in Jasson Dominguez or Spencer Jones properly developing in the outfield alongside Grisham and captain Aaron Judge, there’s added urgency to make a big splash before negotiations intensify.

Bellinger is one of the top free-agent outfielders, and the Yankees should label him as a proven commodity. The former NL MVP smacked 29 homers with 98 RBI and an .813 OPS in his first season in the Bronx, while playing all three outfield positions and first base as a versatile defender.

It won’t be easy for the Yankees to retain Bellinger, who should have many suitors entering his age-30 season. The lefty slugger produced the second-highest WAR (5.1) of his career in 2025, and also registered a career-low strikeout percentage (13.7) in 152 games.

Brian Cashman shares he spoke to Casey Close about Kyle Tucker, Paul Goldschmidt, Michael King and Kyle Schwarber.

He shares he’s also spoken with Scott Boras about Tatsuya Imai.

He has not made contact yet regarding Kazuma Okamoto. pic.twitter.com/ioO2omO2Ig

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) November 21, 2025