Yankees Add Randal Grichuk on Minor League Deal to Bolster Right-Handed Platoon Depth
The New York Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran outfielder randal grichuk, and he will enter Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. The signing supplies the club with a right-handed bat that can compete for a bench role and a platoon spot without costing a guaranteed roster opening.
Randal Grichuk and the Yankees’ right-handed platoon plan
Randal Grichuk arrives as a clear fit for a right-handed corner role. If he breaks camp with the club, he would likely take at-bats from Trent Grisham against left-handed pitching. The current alignment envisions scenarios in which Cody Bellinger, a strong left-on-left hitter, would stay in center while Grichuk slides into a corner spot opposite Aaron Judge against southpaws.
Performance profile: recent form and platoon history
Grichuk is a 34-year-old, 11-year major-league veteran who can provide power against left-handed pitching. Last season was uneven: he hit at roughly a league-average level while with Arizona and was later traded to Kansas City. Across 293 trips to the plate last year, his overall line was. 228/. 273/. 401, and in 183 plate appearances with the platoon advantage he produced a. 227/. 273/. 430 mark.
That recent downturn sits alongside a pronounced three-year split that favors left-handed pitching. Between 2022 and 2024, Grichuk produced a. 317/. 367/. 573 line against southpaws, compiling 25 home runs, 34 doubles and four triples in fewer than 500 plate appearances. Over that stretch, he ranked among the league leaders in OPS versus lefties (minimum 450 plate appearances considered in that assessment).
What spring training will determine
Grichuk will enter Spring Training aiming to play his way onto the major-league roster. The non-roster invite arrangement gives the Yankees flexibility: they can evaluate his health, timing and defensive fit without committing a guaranteed spot. Key questions to watch in camp include whether he can reestablish the left-on-left production that powered his strong split from 2022–24, how he handles game-ready at-bats after a difficult second half last season, and whether his presence forces a shift in the projected bench mix.
- Contract status: minor league deal with non-roster invitee status.
- Experience: 11-year major-league veteran, age 34.
- Recent full-season line:.228/. 273/. 401 across 293 plate trips last season.
- Platoon performance (2022–24 vs. lefties):.317/. 367/. 573 with 25 HR, 34 doubles, 4 triples in under 500 PAs.
The signing is a low-cost method to add right-handed depth and a potential matchup bat. randal grichuk’s proven success against left-handed pitchers is the clearest pathway for him to earn a roster spot: if Spring Training shows he has regained that form, he could be an immediate platoon option and a late-inning bat off the bench.
Details such as roster timing and any in-season ramifications will unfold during camp. For now, the Yankees have added a veteran right-handed corner outfielder to compete for meaningful playing time in matchups that demand a lefty-facing power bat. Recent updates indicate this is a developing roster story as spring competition begins.
