CLEVELAND — No matter what the Yankees do in the winter, they’re always getting criticized by a lot of their fans for not having an unlimited payroll. All you hear is they should spend more because they’re the Yankees, because they haven’t won a World Series since 2009.
Those gripes include the usual quick fix pleas to Hal Steinbrenner: Fire Aaron Boone … fire Brian Cashman … sell the team to someone who will run it like George Steinbrenner.
It doesn’t matter that the Yankees always are among the highest spenders. How dare they allow the Dodgers and Mets to have a higher payroll?
Last winter Kyle Tucker was the hottest free agent on the market, so naturally Yankees fans wanted him in pinstripes, some even more than bringing back Cody Bellinger to play left field. Never mind that Bellinger is a former MVP whose 2025 season with the Yankees was better than any Tucker ever had with the Astros or Cubs.
The Yankees’ big winter moves included passing on Tucker, who went to the Dodgers for outrageous money, $240 million for four years. Yankees fans were envious. Social media venting stated the Dodgers spend like George used to and it’s led to two championships in a row, three in six years.
The Yankees’ offseason, of course, started and ended with two big-money signings that fueled their “running it back” theme. Trent Grisham accepted a $22.05 million qualifying offer on Nov. 18 to delay free agency for a year, then on Jan. 21 Bellinger returned at a good price for the overall value he brings on the field and in the clubhouse, $162.5 million for five seasons.
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Were any fans happy when Grisham accepted the qualifying offer?
Did anyone commend him for potentially passing on tens of millions in guaranteed dollars over a long-term deal as a free agent to return to the Yankees for a way-over-market, one-year contract?
The public reaction was pretty much united:
The Yankees overpaid for Grisham, who received a 340.5 percent raise jumping from $5 million to $22.025 million.
A lot of fans doubted Grisham would come close to repeating his career-best 2025 season, which included 34 homers, 74 RBI, 84 walks, a .235 batting average and an .811 OPS. His average was a nice jump from three below-Mendoza Line years in a row — .184 in 2022 and .198 in 2023 with the Padres, then .190 with the Yankees in 2024 — but still 10 points below the .245 league average.
Also, while Grisham seemingly passed the eye test running down most everything in center field, defensive metrics had him not close to his form when he won two Gold Gloves, especially in range.
Well, we’re now a third of the way into the season and you can make a case that Grisham is actually having a better year.
A .227 average with eight homers, 33 RBI, 37 walks and a .743 OPS in 63 games counting Monday night’s 7-5, 10-inning win over the Guardians.
Here are a couple other telling stats:
His walk rate is up from 14.1 to 14.8 percent and his strikeout rate is down from 23.6 to a career-best 14.8. Also, his five steals in six attempts are more than his combined total over the last two seasons when he was successful four times in seven tries.
“Grish was the unluckiest hitter in baseball for a month and a half,” Bellinger said.
Grisham has been the Yankees’ best hitter for three weeks and he’s become even hotter in the last week since Aaron Judge was sidelined with a rib stress fracture, hitting .391 with a .462 on-base percentage in six games.
All 13 position players and eight pitchers contributed to the Yankees’ series-opening win in Cleveland, everyone in the bullpen except Fernando Cruz, the only reliever who had the night off.
Paul Goldschmidt ignited the offense with a two-run homer in the first inning. Ryan McMahon put the Yankees ahead 4-3 in the sixth. Max Schuemann‘s walk in the 10th loaded the bases for Bellinger, who delivered a tie-breaking single for a two-run single. The 7-5 lead held up when David Bednar worked a scoreless 10th after getting two outs in the ninth.
All along, Grisham was channeling a little Reggie Jackson being a straw that stirred the drink. He led off the third with a single that led to a run that put the Yankees up 3-0, then he lined another hit to start the eighth with Cleveland ahead 5-4 and it turned into a game-tying run. In the 10th, he just missed a leadoff two-run homer with the ghost runner on second base when his deep drive to left was caught at the wall.
“He’s putting real consistent at-bats for us,” Boone said.
And since May 19, Grisham has been rewarded, hitting .383 over his 17 games with two homers, six RBI, eight walks and only six strikeouts across 69 plate appearances. In this stretch, his average has jumped from .166 to .227. That’s a 61-point climb in 21 days.
“I’ve felt good all year,” Grisham said. “Nothing’s really changed. It’s been more the same. Just little better results.”
A key, Grisham admitted, was his ability to not freak out over his early misfortune.
“You want to contribute, but when you’re going through a season, you know there’s going to be stretches like that,” Grisham said. “You can’t overreact to it. If you overreact, that’s when you turn a bad month into a bad year. You have to understand that and prepare for it.”
Boone is one of Grisham’s biggest supporters. He’s loved Grisham’s game all season.
What’s stood out most during Grisham’s recent hot streak?
“First of all, finding some grass finally,” Boone said. “I don’t think it was much different early. He really was squaring a couple balls up it seemed like (every) game. His patience is huge. He works the count, gets on base. He’s driving the ball. He just missed one there in the 10th.”
So far this year, there’s no arguing that the Yankees are getting more for their money than the Dodgers have received for the $65 million they’re paying Tucker, who has been mediocre at best hitting .236 with five homers, 30 RBI and a .716 OPS in 62 games.
Early in Judge’s absence, which figures to last at least until August, Grisham is picking up the slack … and, of course, deflecting credit to his entire team, not himself. That’s his style.
“I would say whether Judge is with us or not, we’re gonna have to win games all kinds of different ways if we’re gonna get to where you want to get to,” Grisham said. “That’s just a fact of the matter, whether he’s here or not. We’re gonna have to win close games, blowout games, whatever.
“If we’re gonna get to the World Series and win, that’s how it’s gonna have to be.”
Perhaps under the radar, Grisham is doing his part and more.
“He always gives us consistent at-bats, he plays a great center field and he’s such an amazing guy in the locker room, as well,” Bellinger said. “He’s just fun to be around, man. His mentality is his routine. He’s just been tremendous for us. He’s the Big Sleep!”
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