Every winter, the Yankees shell out for at least one star player. This year, was it Trent Grisham?

Two days later, the algorithms of the Yankiverse are still trying to wrap their greasy tentacles around Tuesday's revelation: 

Trent Grisham has accepted the one-year, $22 million qualifying offer.

WTF? Who saw that coming? Grisham was following a breakout season. He should be chasing a five-year deal, with a luxury box and turndown service. Instead, he signs for one piddily season? One? Who figured? And what now?

Suddenly, Grisham's one-year deal feels like an overpay. (Certainly, Grisham saw it that way.) Now, instead of bidding bigly for Kyle Tucker and/or Cody Bellinger, the Yankees are left with an outfield logjam that includes The Martian and Spencer Jones - unless Brian Cashman trades them. Either way, the Yanks are left wondering if Grisham's 34 HR season was a fluke or a breakout.

I have an idea: Let's get drunk. Nobody likes a Negative Nelly. Let's get bigly blasted and assume that Owner Hal still plans to shell out for at least one major free agent. If Tucker and Bellinger are out, that means... well... fill my glass.

Some possibilities...

Alex Bregman. He'd nail down 3B, piss off Boston, free Ryan McMahon (great glove and 189 strikeouts) for a trade, and - in strategic moments, for old time's sake - bang a garbage can lid. He's 32. Three-year deal, and we're done clutching pearls over 3B.

Eugenio Suarez. Another 3B. Hit 49 HRs last year. Bats RH. He's 34, maybe a tad too old. But 49 HRs. 

Michael King. Prodigal son. Last year, his innings dropped to 73, and his ERA rose to 3.44. He'll be 31. He knows and understands NY. A number two starter.

Bo Bichette. Coming off career season. Take that, Toronto. Can he play SS, freeing Yanks to trade miserable Anthony Volpe? Or 3B, moving McMahon (great glove and .219 BA.)  

Tatsuya Imai. Pitcher from Japan. Age 27. It's long overdue for the Yankees. Remindful of Masahiro Tanaka. Cashman should be all-in on this guy, but let's face it: If the Dodgers, Mets or Phillies want him - (and they surely do) - Hal will finish runner-up in the bidding.

Scrap heapers and salary dumps. Bingo. How many Ryan Yarboroughs does it take to screw in a fan base? 

Aside from Imai, nobody checks all the boxes. Neither did Grisham (who, it should be noted - according to the bylaws of the Geneva Convention - cannot be traded until June.) 

Damn. The Yankees could hit 2026 as a near carbon copy of 2025. Or Cashman could launch a complete teardown. Right now, I wonder if he even knows?