The Yankees have added some potential right-handed hitting depth, agreeing to a minor-league deal with OF Randal Grichuk.
Grichuk will join the Yankees’ major-league camp, and per Joel Sherman, he will earn $2.5 million if he makes the MLB roster.
The 34-year-old has notoriously been a Yankee killer in the past – his 18 homers, career OPS of .825, and many big hits against the Bombers are well-known – and has hit lefties to the tune of a .268/.318/.500 slash line in his career.
However, he is coming off a tough season where he slashed just .228/.273/.401 in 293 plate appearances with Arizona and Kansas City, including a .227/.273/.430 mark against southpaws – well below the .317/.367/.573 line he put up collectively from 2022-24.
If he can return to form, however, Grichuk has a very good shot of breaking camp with a Yankees team that features up to six lefties in the regular starting lineup, potentially seven if switch-hitter Jasson Dominguez breaks camp and takes most of his at-bats from that side.
The Yankees sought a righty bench bat all winter, even after re-signing Amed Rosario and even after re-upping Paul Goldschmidt, and Grichuk would give them that plus a true reserve outfielder (beyond possibly Dominguez) who could spell an outfielder or cover a DH day against a southpaw.
The Yankees will only have about three weeks to make that decision, potentially, as Grichuk, as an Article XX(b) free agent who finished last season in the Majors, has three guaranteed opt-out dates in his minor-league deal, the first coming March 20 (five days before Opening Day, which is a day earlier for the Yankees).
Should Grichuk not make the team and accept an assignment to Triple-A, he would have further potential opt-out dates on May 1 and June 1.