The Yankees’ search for outfield help this winter appears to be taking them straight to Washington.
With Trent Grisham likely on the way out after a rough season in pinstripes, New York is already being linked to Nationals center fielder Jacob Young, according to the New York Post’s Joel Sherman. Grisham, who took the Yankees’ $22 million qualifying offer last offseason, put together a frustrating year at the plate and in center field, hitting .211/.308/.395 with 18 home runs while posting -8 defensive runs saved and -6 outs above average.
That’s a tough return for a player who came in with two Gold Glove Awards on his résumé, and with free agency approaching, a reunion between Grisham and the Yankees looks doubtful.
Young offers a very different profile. He brings elite defense, ranking second in the National League with 13 defensive runs saved as a center fielder, but the bat has not kept pace with the glove. His lifetime .652 OPS over nearly 1,500 career plate appearances is the big red flag.
Still, there’s at least one area where he has shown some value offensively. Young hit .282 with three homers and a .776 OPS in 149 at-bats against lefties in 2026. Those numbers don’t scream impact, but they may be enough to make him more than just a late-inning defensive replacement.
FanSided’s Jake Elman floated the idea of a platoon if the Yankees do end up making the move, noting, "Personally, we’re not sold on Young being a game-changing addition. Defensive metrics are notoriously subjective, and he owns a lifetime .652 OPS over nearly 1,500 career plate appearances.
"If the Yankees do add the 27-year-old Young, then we suggest platooning him with Jones, as the former has mashed left-handed pitching in his career," FanSided's Jake Elman wrote.
If New York decides to move on from Grisham, Young is the kind of name that makes sense as a glove-first option with some situational upside. His offense may not be a selling point, but his defense could be enough to earn meaningful playing time under Aaron Boone.
In Other News...
Yankees Fans Just Got The Answer They Feared From Hal Steinbrenner
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Aaron Boone also addressed the situation separately, and the manager kept the focus on his own ability to guide the team moving forward even after New York again fell short of advancing. For Yankees fans, the bigger question now is not just what was said in these internal talks, but whether the organization is prepared to treat another disappointing October as a push for change or simply as another reminder of what went wrong. [Read more 🡒]
Hal Steinbrenner Just Sent Yankees Fans A Clear Aaron Judge Message
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Steinbrenner said he spoke privately with Judge, while also backing the clubs approach to the captains injury situation during the postseason. The message was less about a public back-and-forth than a reminder that, in Steinbrenners view, the Yankees expect players to work hard and follow the rules the team has in place, even as the pressure to build a true championship roster keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Could Have An Answer At Second Base If Yankees Move On
Jazz Chisholm heads into free agency with his future in New York still unsettled, even though he has made it clear he would like to stay with the Yankees. The second basemans role came under the microscope late in the postseason, when he was left out of the starting lineup for some playoff games and heard it from fans while the pressure mounted.
If the Yankees decide to move on, there are already teams that could be watching closely, and the Padres have been mentioned as a potential fit. For now, though, the more immediate question is whether Chisholms market opens beyond the Bronx, or whether the Yankees ultimately keep a player whose explosiveness still makes him intriguing despite the uneven finish. [Read more 🡒]