Yankees signing Randal Grichuk doesn't stop them from making rumored trade

Late Thursday night, news broke that the New York Yankees had added a player to their spring training mix to help cultivate some competition in the outfield. With their need for a right-handed bat, they reportedly signed Randal Grichuk to a minor-league contract.

This move has been speculated for months, and specifically intensified after Austin Slater signed with the Detroit Tigers. Grichuk mashes lefties, but he had a down year in 2025 with the Royals after notching 2.2 WAR with the Diamondbacks the season prior.

Grichuk is entering his age-34 season and hits .268 with an .819 OPS against left-handed pitching. If he shows a semblance of that production during spring training, then there's a chance he receives some meaningful reps on the big league roster in 2026.

That said, he'll probably have to accept an assignment at Triple-A to begin the season, because it's evident the Yankees 26-man group is set (barring injuries, which, well, are already happening). The first roster projection from The Athletic has JC Escarra, Oswaldo Cabrera, Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario making up the bench. Perhaps we can see Oswaldo starting the season in Triple-A, but his defensive versatility might be too valuable to suppress.

This means there's a real possibility Grichuk opts out of his deal and seeks other opportunities if he's not sold on getting legitimate playing time in New York.

Yankees Rumors: Randal Grichuk signing doesn't prevent possible trade with Cubs

So let's say Grichuk either opts out or the Yankees don't view him as a fit. There's another direction they could go, and it might involve a trade with the Cubs (or waiting for one of their outfielders to opt out during spring training).

Former Astro Chas McCormick, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, has been of interest to the Yankees "for years." He's currently with the Cubs on a minor league deal and has a March 21 opt out. It's possible he exercises that opt out and is right there for the taking in about three and a half weeks, but there's some real competition for the fourth outfield spot in Chicago.

It's conceivable McCormick, who is two years removed from a 3.4 WAR season with the Astros, out-performs Kevin Alcanatara and Justin Dean. McCormick's 2021-2023 campaigns with Houston made it seem like he was emerging as a legitimate starter. But -1.6 WAR combined across 2024-2025 perhaps says otherwise.

He's another guy who crushes lefties, though. He owns a .280/.354/.493 line against left-handed pitching and is better than Grichuk defensively. Is he worth trading for? Probably not, but again it'll depend on his performance this spring and the Yankees' bench/outfield situation.

It may seem like everything's largely resolved, but the Yankees have already been hit with curveballs regarding Giancarlo Stanton, Cam Schlittler and Ben Rice to varying degrees. Nothing can be disregarded until the group headed up north is finalized in about a month's time.