Every offseason starts with a number. For the Yankees, that number is $300 million — the luxury tax line Hal Steinbrenner treats like a live wire. They can cross it, but only if the roster truly demands it. That’s where things get complicated, because the Yankees entered the winter with roughly $70 million in breathing room and now sit much closer to the ceiling than they expected.

The Trent Grisham qualifying offer changed everything. One decision, one signature, and suddenly the Yankees’ flexibility shrank by nearly a third.

A shrinking budget at the worst possible time

Before Grisham accepted his $22 million QO, the Yankees had mapped out a far more fluid offseason. They wanted to retain Cody Bellinger, add a high-leverage reliever, and stay in the mix for a frontline arm like Japane

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