Trent Grisham is being floated as a free-agent center field option for the Blue Jays. The fit is shakier than it looks.

SI's Yirsandy Rodriguez made the case. He wrote that Grisham could be Toronto's full-time center fielder and, if he finds his best offensive form, “a strong candidate to lead off.”

The urgency comes from George Springer's likely departure. Before his final home series, Springer said he'd “do my best to embrace being back home for one last time.”

MLB.com's Keegan Matheson framed the bigger problem. “Essentially, the Blue Jays need to find their next George Springer,” he wrote, noting how long it's been since Toronto developed an All-Star outfielder.

Grisham, a two-time Gold Glove winner, is coming off a down year with the Yankees. He played on a $22 million deal in 2026.

So what's the problem? The defence isn't what it used to be.

Trent Grisham's 19th percentile fielding raises a red flag

Rodriguez noted that Grisham finished in the 19th percentile in fielding. He also ranked in the 13th percentile in baserunning.

Those are tough numbers for a center fielder. And Toronto already has an internal option who checks more boxes.

Brett Bateman hit .329 with a .402 on-base percentage after arriving in the Gausman trade. He also posted +4 Fielding Run Value with elite sprint speed.

Grisham isn't the answer. Paying a declining glove to block Bateman in center would be a step backward, and the money belongs in a corner bat.

Signing him to play center is like hiring a famous chef whose last few meals came back cold. The résumé is great, but you eat the food, not the résumé.

If Toronto wants an outfielder, the targets should be Seiya Suzuki, Randy Arozarena or Teruaki Sato. All of them bring the power the lineup lacked.

Grisham would be a fine fourth outfielder in the right price range. He just shouldn't be handed an everyday job.

Springer's exit leaves a void in the clubhouse and the lineup. Filling it with a former Yankee coming off a bad year might please the rivalry crowd, but it won't fix the offence.