The free-agent market narrowed earlier this week as four players accepted the one-year, $22.025 million qualifying offer to remain with their current teams. This provides their organizations with roster clarity as league-wide transactional activity begins to pick up.
The quartet that accepted the offer—Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham, Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres, Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga, and Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff—all contributed to teams that reached the postseason in 2025. They will now look to replicate that success in 2026 while eyeing a larger payday next offseason.
While the decision-making behind accepting the one-year pact is interesting, the focus now shifts to the ramifications for the rosters involved. Nowhere is this more impactful than in New York.
What does keeping Trent Grisham mean for the Yankees’ pursuit of Cody Bellinger?
After arriving from San Diego in the Juan Soto trade, Grisham was expected to be a depth piece. Instead, he exploded in his second year in the Bronx, doubling his previous career high with 34 home runs and posting a career-best .811 OPS as the primary center fielder in 2025. Along with AL MVP Aaron Judge and fellow free agent Cody Bellinger, Grisham helped form the most productive outfield in the majors.
Despite Grisham’s return, keeping Bellinger reportedly remains a priority for New York. However, with Grisham now locked in, questions surface regarding the rest of the position player group regardless of how the Bellinger pursuit shakes out.
If the Yankees retain Bellinger, the 2026 lineup will likely mirror the previous season. Giancarlo Stanton would continue to receive the bulk of the DH reps, and Ben Rice would likely assume the everyday job at first base. A Bellinger return would effectively conclude New York’s position player business, allowing the front office to focus on pitching upgrades. It would also block the immediate path for prospects like Spencer Jones and Jasson Domínguez. For a team with World Series aspirations, however, fielding the best possible team takes precedence over development.
The Jasson Domínguez Factor
If Bellinger signs elsewhere—a plausible outcome given his market—the pressure on Grisham to replicate his breakout campaign will intensify, and Jasson Domínguez will become much more relevant.
Domínguez, a switch-hitter, performed well from the left side in 2025 (.768 OPS) but struggled right-handed and showed defensive liabilities in left field. He is currently playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic to refine his game, but there is a chance he profiles more as a role player than an everyday starter. However, without Bellinger, Domínguez would likely enter spring training with the inside track on the starting left-field job, attempting to reclaim the playing time he ceded to Grisham and Bellinger last season.
