Trent Grisham’s year in pinstripes didn’t give the Yankees much reason to keep the door open.
After taking New York’s $22 million qualifying offer last offseason, Grisham turned in a rough all-around season, batting .211/.308/.395 with 18 home runs while struggling badly in center field. His glove, once a selling point as a former two-time Gold Glove Award winner, slipped to -8 defensive runs saved and -6 outs above average. With free agency approaching, a reunion looks unlikely.
That has put the Yankees back on the market for help up the middle, and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports they are watching Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young. The 27-year-old brings a very different profile than Grisham: the defense jumps off the page. Young ranked second in the National League with 13 defensive runs saved as a center fielder.
The catch, as always, is the bat. Young’s offense hasn’t matched his glove, and his career line reflects that. He owns a lifetime .652 OPS over nearly 1,500 career plate appearances.
Still, there’s at least one encouraging wrinkle if the Yankees decide to go that direction. Young hit .282 with three homers and a .776 OPS in 149 at-bats against lefties in 2026, enough to make him a plausible option for some starts against southpaws. FanSided’s Jake Elman suggested that if New York lands Young, a platoon with Jones would make sense because of Young’s track record against left-handed pitching.
For now, the bigger picture is clear: Grisham’s run with the Yankees is probably coming to an end, and Brian Cashman appears set to search for another outfielder this winter. Young is one name firmly on the radar.
In Other News...
Braves May Finally Have A Veteran Answer Behind Chris Sale
The Braves got through the 2026 season the hard way, winning the NL East even as their starting rotation dealt with injuries and uneven production. Tyler Mahle helped stabilize things after arriving at the Trade Deadline, but Atlanta still came up short of adding a true frontline arm, leaving the pitching picture a little cloudier than a division title would suggest.
So the search for a veteran answer behind Chris Sale may not be finished yet. There is growing speculation that Atlanta could look to the free-agent market for help, and the timing matters with the playoffs looming and the offseason already in view. The Braves do not need another headline-grabber as much as they need reliability, and that is exactly why this next move could end up shaping how confident they feel about the top of the staff. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Could Make A Bigger Outfield Move Than Fans Expected
After clinching the NL East title last season, the Braves already made one move to bolster the outfield by bringing in Lane Thomas for a platoon role. Even so, the front office appears to be looking for a more impactful right-handed bat, one that could help balance the lineup when left-handed pitching comes into play.
That search has naturally led to a familiar name with a track record of handling big moments and lefties alike, and the fit is easy to see for a club trying to sharpen every edge before another division race. The question now is whether Atlanta is content with the move it already made, or if it is willing to go bigger in the outfield than many around the team first expected. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Let A Catching What-If Slip Away Too Soon
Jonah Heim arrived in Atlanta in February 2026 as the kind of depth move that usually only gets a second glance when the starter goes down. With Sean Murphy working his way back from injury, the Braves brought Heim in to handle backup duty, and he ended up making 12 starts before the club moved on from him and sent him to West Sacramento. For a team that has had to think hard about catching depth, it was a short stay that still carried some real what-if appeal.
Heim got regular run with the Athletics after the deal, but the season did not build into the sort of rebound he was hoping for. His production settled into a career-low fWAR, a reflection of the defensive issues that have dogged him and a late-season slide at the plate. For Atlanta, the bigger question is what might have been had the catching picture stayed stable a little longer, because the room behind Murphy did not stay settled for very long. [Read more 🡒]