MLB Rumors: Yankees Linked to Lefty-Mashing Outfielder

The New York Yankees know the roster looks like a lineup built to take advantage of Yankee Stadium, but still a little too left-heavy when the matchups swing the other way. 

With spring training basically here, the front office is still sniffing around for one more right-handed bat, and Randal Grichuk’s name is now sitting right in the middle of the conversation.

Yankees right handed bat search gets real

Jon Heyman floated four names on MLB Network as being on the Yankees’ list, with Randal Grichuk joining Paul Goldschmidt, Ty France, and Austin Slater as late winter options. 

The common thread is that New York wants a bat that can punish left-handed pitching without forcing a big restructure. 

The Yankees are reportedly looking to add another right-handed bat this offseason.@JonHeyman mentions Paul Goldschmidt, Ty France, Austin Slater and Randal Grichuk as players “on their list.” pic.twitter.com/RVsCO58dw5

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 3, 2026

The Yankees missed on a few cleaner fits earlier in the offseason, so this stage of the calendar is about finding a role player who can win specific nights and shorten games for Aaron Boone.

Why Randal Grichuk fits the Yankees platoon plan

Grichuk checks the box the Yankees keep circling; he has a long track record of doing damage against lefties. For his career, he owns a .268 average and an .819 OPS versus southpaws, which plays perfectly for a team trying to avoid getting squeezed when a tough lefty starter shows up. 

The Athletic is reporting that the #Yankees are in the market for a right-handed hitting outfielder.

Among the options newly reported are Tommy Pham and Starling Marte, added to the previously reported Austin Slater — who the Yankees made an offer to — and Randal Grichuk. pic.twitter.com/xnlPq40GyT

— Matthew Nethercott (@bymnethercott) January 31, 2026

Even as his role has shifted more toward platoon work, the skill has stayed useful. In 2025, he hit seven of his nine homers off left-handed pitching and still posted an OPS north of .700 in those matchups, and a year earlier, he crushed lefties to the tune of a .913 OPS in 2024.

This is why the link keeps making sense. The Yankees do not need Grichuk to be a lineup centerpiece. They need him to be the annoying right-handed counterpunch who forces opponents to think twice, and who can rotate through the corner outfield and bench at bats without drama. 

Photo Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images