New York Yankees news: Accepting the qualifying offer is in this year

FanGraphs | Michael Baumann: Four players, including Yankee outfielder Trent Grisham, accepted qualifying offers this week, by far the highest rate we’ve seen in an offseason. Previous to this winter, just nine percent of players took up the one-year offer, and that raises some questions about the future of baseball. The most optimistic side would say that the players have faith there will be no work stoppage, as they prepare to re-enter free agency next year, and the most pessimistic would point to a collapse in the fortunes of baseball’s “middle class.”

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: As noted above, Grisham is back with the Yankees for the 2026 season at just over $22 million. The Yankees have danced in and around the $300 million mark for team payroll over the last couple of seasons, and Grisham’s salary going up by $17 million pushes the club further toward that line. The team’s expected 2026 payroll now stands at $281 million, just three mil short of the second tier of Competitive Balance Tax penalties, and Hal Steinbrenner will once again have to decide how comfortable he is going past those thresholds — even with Grisham and retaining Ryan Yarbrough, this team still has holes to fill.

NJ.com | Manny Gomez: The rumors were fun while it lasted. Last week, 2025 NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes supposedly expressed frustration with the Pittsburgh Pirates and “openly” talked about wanting to be traded to the Yankees. Skenes himself squashed that rumor, reaffirming that his focus is to win with the Pirates. I wish him the best of luck with that.