TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees have spent the better part of this offseason looking for one very specific thing: a right-handed bat who can come off the bench and handle left-handed pitching. Brian Cashman searched the free agent market all winter without pulling the trigger. Two weeks into spring training, he finally found his man.
The club signed outfielder Randal Grichuk to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp, as first reported by Jack Curry of the YES Network on Wednesday night. The move addresses the Yankees’ most obvious roster imbalance heading into the 2026 season.
But who exactly is Grichuk? And what role would he fill in the Bronx?
A 12-year veteran who has bounced around the league
Grichuk, 34, is not a flashy name. He is not going to sell tickets or generate headlines on his own. But he brings something the Yankees desperately need: a right-handed bat with a proven track record against left-handed pitching.
Over 12 MLB seasons, Grichuk has played for six organizations. He came up with the Cardinals from 2014 to 2017, spent four years with the Blue Jays from 2018 to 2021, then bounced to the Rockies, Angels, Diamondbacks and Royals. He is a career .253 hitter with five seasons of 20 or more home runs.
His best power season came in 2019 with Toronto, when he belted 31 home runs and drove in 80 runs in 151 games. His best overall offensive year was 2024 with Arizona, when he hit .291 with 12 homers and 46 RBI in 106 games.
Last season was a different story. Grichuk hit .228 with nine home runs and 27 RBI in 113 games split between the Diamondbacks and Royals. He batted .240 in 70 games with Arizona before being dealt to Kansas City, where he slumped to .206 in 43 games. His overall slash line for 2025 was .228/.273/.401.
The Yankees needed a right-handed bat and Grichuk fills that gap
The signing makes sense when you look at the Yankees’ projected roster. Six of their everyday starters hit from the left side: Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells. Only Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Caballero bat right-handed.
The bench options were even more lopsided before Grichuk’s arrival. Jasson Dominguez is a switch-hitter who is stronger from the left side. Spencer Jones bats left-handed. Non-roster invitees Seth Brown and Yanquiel Fernandez are both left-handed hitters as well. The Yankees simply did not have a true right-handed power option off the bench.
That is where Grichuk comes in. Across his career, he has hit .268 with an .819 OPS against left-handed pitching. Even in his down 2025 season, he posted a .703 OPS against lefties with a .430 slugging percentage. In 2024, he was dominant against southpaws, hitting .319 with a .913 OPS.
The plan would be for Grichuk to serve as a platoon bat in left field against left-handed starters. In that scenario, Bellinger would slide over to center field, giving the Yankees a more balanced lineup on those nights.
What this means for Jasson Dominguez
Grichuk’s arrival could have a significant impact on one of the Yankees’ most talked-about young players. Dominguez, the 23-year-old outfielder who made his big league debut in 2023, was expected to compete for a bench spot this spring.
But with Grichuk now in camp, the Yankees may decide that optioning Dominguez to Triple-A is the better path. The logic is straightforward. Grichuk is a far more accomplished hitter against left-handed pitching than Dominguez at this stage. And sending Dominguez to the minors for regular at-bats could benefit his long-term development more than sitting on a big league bench.
Dominguez still has plenty of upside. He is widely regarded as one of the Yankees’ best position player prospects. But the organization may feel that a full season of everyday reps at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will serve him better than sporadic playing time in the Bronx.
Grichuk’s defense is a mixed bag
There is one area where Grichuk does not grade out well. According to Baseball Savant’s analytics, he is a below-average fielder. His range and route efficiency have declined in recent years, which limits his value in center field.
However, he does possess a very strong throwing arm from right field, which could be an asset in limited duty. In a platoon role where he is playing left field against lefties, the defensive demands are lower. The Yankees would be betting primarily on his bat in those matchups.
A low-risk move that fills a real need
This is the kind of signing Cashman has made before. A veteran on a minor league deal with an invite to camp. No guaranteed money. No roster commitment. Just a chance to compete.
Last spring, Cashman added Jon Berti right before Opening Day and signed Ryan Yarbrough on a one-year deal in late March. Both moves addressed specific needs without costing prospect capital or significant payroll.
Grichuk’s signing falls into the same category. If he earns a roster spot, the Yankees get a proven right-handed bat who can neutralize left-handed pitching. If he does not, they lose nothing.
For a team that has been openly searching for this exact type of player since the offseason began, the timing finally feels right. And for Grichuk, a chance to compete for a spot on a contending Yankees roster is as good an opportunity as any 34-year-old journeyman could ask for.
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