Yankees have Trent Grisham recourse but fans must know key detail about potential trade

One of the most divisive moves of the New York Yankees offseason came at the very beginning. The club made the decision to extend Trent Grisham the qualifying offer. It's still unclear if their intention was an ill-fated gambit to try to procure an extra fourth-round pick, or if they truly believed that at $22.025 million for one year, he was actually a value.

Regardless, the Yankees made their bed, but what happens if Grisham reverts to his pre-2025 form? This is where having depth in the outfield comes into play. The Yankees have Jasson Dominguez, whose immediate future is very unsettled, and behind him, they also have Spencer Jones.

The easy answer would be to trade Grisham away should he struggle this spring and hope another team will believe in him enough to take him on, but there is a speed bump in that plan. As a player who accepted the qualifying offer by rule, Grisham can't be traded until June 15.

The Yankees have an off-ramp with Trent Grisham, but it's complicated and likely makes Jasson Dominguez essential

The Yankees can't capitalize on a rival's spring training injury misfortune and deal Grisham before Opening Day when his value might be highest, no matter how much fans might want to see that.

But if they decide to move on, there is a way to do so after June 15. That might mean that Dominguez begins the year in Scranton. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

By going down and getting two and a half months to work on his right-handed hitting and defense in left field by playing every day away from the bright Bronx spotlight, Dominguez can regain a lot of the luster he lost last season.

To that end, even if Grisham is playing well over the season's first few months, the Yankees could then dangle him on the trade block for an upgrade elsewhere, knowing that they have a revitalized Martian waiting in the wings to take over.

The underlying data from last year points to Grisham's breakout being real, and if that's confirmed in the early going of 2026, it doesn't necessarily preclude a trade. This is just a one-year deal for him, and one has to wonder what the Yankees' appetite would be to bring him back long-term if he proves he's no one-hit wonder.

Again, Dominguez is crucial. At just 23 years old, he can put himself back on that star-level track, giving New York a cheap option to fill out the outfield in the latter half of this season and far beyond.

In this sort of scenario, Cody Bellinger's versatility pays off with him being able to replace Grisham in center, freeing left field up for Dominguez in the process.

The emergency exit for the Yankees with Grisham is a complicated one, and relies heavily on Dominguez, but it does exist, making the deal look a little bit better than some might like to admit.