The New York Yankees are having free agent discussions surrounding outfielder Randall Grichuk, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Grichuk, age 34, is a right-handed hitting corner outfielder who’s known for having good career numbers against left-handed pitchers, in which he owns a .819 OPS against them with 79 home runs and a .318 OBP, according to StatMuse.
Grichuk is also known as a “Yankees killer,” as he has usually played well against them throughout his career. Grichuk owns a lifetime “.253 batting average against the Yankees with 18 home runs, 35 RBI’s, and 36 runs scored in 68 games versus the Yankees throughout his entire career”, according to StatMuse.
Grichuk Makes Sense For What Yankees Are Looking For
Grichuk could serve value for a Yankees lineup that is mostly left-handed, as well as another good right-handed bat option off the bench who can hit left-handed pitching. He’s not great but serviceable in the corner outfield, with above-average arm strength. He also brings a veteran presence to the Yankees’ clubhouse, having played for six different teams over a dozen years in the league.
Grichuk had a down year offensively in 2025, posting a -0.8 WAR with a lowly .228 batting average with 9 home runs, 27 RBI’s, and a 6.74 OPS in just 43 games. Grichuk was not viewed as an everyday player last year in his respective roles/split time between the Arizona Diamondbacks, and then when he was traded at the MLB trade deadline to the Kansas City Royals.
His underlying metrics, however, are more promising in 2025 than his overall output. Grichuk, despite his 2025 struggles offensively, ranked in the near 90th percentile with an average 92.4 mph exit velocity, as well as above-average metrics in barrel percentage and hard hit percentage, according to Baseball Savant. Grichuk is still hitting the ball hard, which suggests some of his struggles may have been due to bad luck. You also need to factor in that he’s not an everyday player and doesn’t get consistent reps.
Grichuk would likely continue a similar role if he and the Yankees agree on a contract for the 2026 season. He’s not the only right-handed hitting option they are looking at. The Yankees are also discussing the possibility of bringing back right-handed hitting outfielder Austin Slater, who also hits lefties, as well as thinking about a potential reunion with veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, in which there is reportedly mutual interest between the two sides, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Yankees Lacking Right Handed Hitters In Their Lineup
With the Yankees having just three right handed hitters in their current 2026 lineup projections (Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Jose Caballero) the Yankees this entire offseason have been looking at ways to add more right handed hitting depth to this roster, outside of the re-signing of utility infielder Amed Rosario, who they acquired at the 2025 MLB trade deadline from the Washington Nationals last season.
The Yankees are also searching for a backup right-handed hitting catcher, as well as other options in terms of possible additions to both the starting rotation and bullpen, which Heyman mentions they’ve also had discussions with free agent starting pitcher Nick Martinez and free agent reliever Michael Kopech. Brian Cashman has left the door open this offseason to adding more names to the rotation, bullpen, or offensive depth, if not addressing all three.
As for what the Yankees do exactly to wrap up their offseason, it remains to be seen, but it will be interesting to see what that is (if anything), considering the still-present needs on the current 2026 team related to pitching and offensive construction at this time.
Yankees Fans Should Keep An Eye On This Free-Agent Outfielder