Report: New York Yankees designate former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder for assignment

The New York Yankees announced Wednesday that veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk has been designated for assignment.

Grichuk, now 34, joined the Yankees on a minor league contract during the offseason and managed to earn a spot on the roster despite an underwhelming spring.

Brought in as a right-handed hitter to bolster the lineup against left-handed pitching—potentially in a platoon role with lefty bat Trent Grisham—he struggled to make an impact. In limited action, Grichuk logged 33 plate appearances, posting a .194/.212/.323 slash line while striking out 10 times.

The past couple of seasons have been challenging for Grichuk. In 2025, he split time between Arizona and Kansas City, finishing with a .228/.273/.401 line (82 wRC+) over 293 plate appearances.

That said, he’s not far removed from a strong 2024 campaign with the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he delivered an impressive .291/.348/.528 performance (139 wRC+).

Earlier in his career, particularly during his tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays, Grichuk was known as a power-first hitter with limited on-base ability.

Across 13 major league seasons, he owns a .250/.297/.464 batting line with 212 home runs. He’s historically been especially effective against left-handed pitchers, though that success hasn’t carried over recently.

In his brief time with New York, he failed to produce against lefties, and he also showed uncharacteristic struggles in those matchups last season.

Even so, his career numbers against southpaws remain strong at .268/.318/.498.

The Yankees now have five days to determine Grichuk’s next step, whether that’s trading him, placing him on waivers, or releasing him outright.

A release appears to be the most likely outcome.

Any team that acquires or claims him would be responsible for the remaining portion of his $2.5 million salary, which could limit interest given his recent performance.

If he becomes a free agent, Grichuk could still draw attention from teams in need of right-handed depth in the corner outfield.

While he has experience in center field, most of that came earlier in his career. Since 2023, he’s seen very limited time there and has not graded as an above-average defender at the position since 2019.

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