With the offseason here for the New York Yankees and other teams around Major League Baseball, there are plenty of factors that have to be considered.
For the Yankees, what they want to do with Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger is at the top of that list.
Bellinger is one of the top players on the free agency market, while Grisham was given a qualifying offer as the Yankees hope to keep him back for at least another season.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, it remains uncertain at the moment what Grisham is going to do, but he reported that he was comfortable in New York and believes that he can replicate his 2025 success because of the changes he made to improve his offensive game.
“A year ago, the New York Yankees weren’t even certain they would offer Grisham a contract. They did, but Grisham accepted a pay cut from $5.5 million to $5 million — and then responded with 34 homers, double his previous best, and a career-high .811 OPS…
“Grisham was comfortable in New York and is said to be confident he can replicate his 2025 performance because of changes he made at the plate and in his mental approach. If interested teams agree with that assessment, he could warrant a healthy multiyear deal,” he wrote.
If there’s any reason for the Yankees to be worried about Grisham, it’s the fact that he’s never done what he did a year ago throughout any other part of his career.
There was a strong argument to be made that Grisham was among the top outfielders in baseball offensively.
Still, there’s a possibility that he never has that type of success at the plate again due to prior indications.
Nearly a week after breaking down in front of the media following a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens netminder Jakub Dobes addressed the press again after practice on Wednesday. The 24-year-old goaltender, all smiles, discussed his emotional reaction to the defeat and reassured fans that any lingering frustration was firmly in the past.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t lose to them again, especially not in the same way. It pushed me over the edge when it happened the same way in overtime,” Dobes explained. The loss was especially hard for Dobes, as it mirrored a similar defeat to the Devils from the previous season. The fact that the loss happened in the same manner—overtime—was a tough pill to swallow for the young goalie.
Despite his emotional reaction after the game, Dobes emphasized that his mood had already improved. “I was just fine when we got on the plane back from New Jersey that night,” he said, adding that his teammates had a bit of fun at his expense. While Dobes doesn’t plan to change his personality, he acknowledged that as he matures, he may get better at handling results with a more measured approach.
Dobes has been a standout for the Canadiens this season, posting an impressive 6-0-1 record with a 2.25 goals-against average, ranking second in the league among goaltenders who have played at least seven games. His .920 save percentage also ranks fourth in the league. His stellar performance has made him the best rookie goaltender this season, edging out Arturs Silovs of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
After watching Samuel Montembeault play the last two games, Dobes will return to the crease on Thursday when the Canadiens host the Dallas Stars. Dobes faced the Stars once last season, earning second-star honors in a 3-1 win with a remarkable .970 save percentage.
As the Canadiens head into their next matchup, Dobes’ resilience and confidence are clear. His early-season success has been a bright spot for Montreal, and as he continues to mature, the young netminder’s leadership and performance will be crucial to the team’s success moving forward.