Did Yankees-Cody Bellinger trade open door for possible Rays deal?

On December 17th, the Yankees completed a trade with the Chicago Cubs to acquire former MVP outfielder, Cody Bellinger. The Cubs were searching for a suitor to rid themselves of Bellinger's hefty contract. After Chicago acquired Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker, trading their Silver Slugger center fielder became a no-brainer. The Yankees pounced on this opportunity, as they found a solid replacement in center field to allow Aaron Judge to move back into a more comfortable corner spot.

However, the Yankees now hold six outfielders on their active roster, if you include Giancarlo Stanton who is generally known as a designated hitter nowadays. Although, there may be an opportunity for New York to deal from their outfield depth to obtain more pitching or even some infield help with Gleyber Torres on the move in free agency.

One player that comes to mind for the Yankees to part ways with is former Padre, Trent Grisham. The Brewers 2015 first round pick was an everyday player in San Diego. He appeared in nearly 500 games over four seasons, collecting two Gold Gloves and producing a 10.2 WAR in his tenure.

Although, when the Yankees added the outfielder to their roster through the blockbuster trade that also involved Juan Soto, his role changed significantly. Due to the incredible depth in the Yankees outfield, Grisham only appeared in 76 contests, recording a sub-.200 AVG and a 0.4 WAR for the season.

Yankees could trade OF Trent Grisham for depth pitching pieces

Therefore, the Yankees could look into trading the 28-year old for other talented options for their depth chart. With Alex Verdugo and young prospect Jasson Dominguez as backup outfield options, it appears that they can afford to let go of the left-handed center fielder. We may be able to insert the Rays into this conversation as their roster is in need of outfield competition and offensive help.

After the losses of Randy Arozarena at the 2024 trade deadline and Jose Siri this offseason, the Rays could certainly use outfield depth on their roster. As a defense-first organization, Erik Neander will definitely be attracted to Grisham's two Gold Gloves, especially with the loss of speedy Jose Siri. On top of the impressive defense, he has also shown glimpses of productive offense, especially in the seasons in which he played at least 150 games.

26-year old outfielder, Jonny DeLuca is currently the starting center fielder on the depth chart. His talented skill set could be helpful for the 2025 Rays, but acquiring a healthy competitor like Trent Grisham would create a sense of urgency within the roster, and hopefully allow the Rays to get the most out of their athletes.

The Rays would likely attempt to deal from their pitching depth if they choose to snag this talented outfielder. One possible trade could be:

Rays receive: OF Trent Grisham
Yankees receive: SP Zack Littell

Littell is currently a 6th starter option and the Rays are loaded with pitching depth. Also, the 29-year old is owed about $6 million this season which is a large amount considering the possibility of a limited role. Grisham is owed a similar salary next year at $5 million, so it would be a slight price cut for the Rays and the money would be allocated more efficiently.

If the Yankees decide to cut their payroll in a trade like this, then they may consider asking for a few Single-A pitchers like Jose Urbina and Gary Gill Hill. We believe that the Rays should entertain multiple options to acquire this Yankees outfielder.