The New York Yankees have a rather intriguing dilemma on their hands heading into the season, and it’s deciding what to do with Jasson Dominguez.
It seems pretty clear that the Yankees are not entirely enamored with the former top prospect. That’s why they were okay with offering Trent Grisham a qualifying offer (which he accepted) and whey they are also still pursuing another outfielder.
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Dominguez is currently slated to be New York’s fourth outfielder, but the Yankees’ reported interest in players like Austin Hays (who just signed with the Chicago White Sox), Randal Grichuk and Austin Slater indicates that Brian Cashman may be looking to move Dominguez elsewhere.
In a recent mailbag, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic addressed the Dominguez situation, and he seems to believe a trade could be on the horizon.
“Given the state of the roster, Cashman should explore Domínguez’s value on the trade market,” Kirschner wrote. “It doesn’t mean the Yankees should trade him for no reason whatsoever, but if he can help upgrade an area they deem a weakness, they should consider it. If they have doubts about his long-term viability as a major-league starter, now would be the time to trade him.”
New York Yankees outfielder Jasson Dominguez. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Should New York trade Dominguez, it would almost certainly be in a rather significant trade, one that could potentially land a top pitcher or possibly a strong bat.
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Dominguez’s trade value may not be what it was a couple of years ago, but he is still just 23 years old and showed flashes of offensive potential in 2025, most notably with his decent 9.6 percent walk rate.
The problem with Dominguez is that he is a major defensive liability. Once touted as a five-tool prospect, the Dominican native struggled mightily in left field last season and clearly does not possess the ability to play center like he did in the minor leagues.
That alone has caused Dominguez’s stock to dip, and while it hasn’t exactly cratered just yet, we may be starting to reach that point.
Taking that into consideration, it would be wise for Cashman to consider jettisoning Dominguez now, especially with Cody Bellinger having just signed a five-year deal (yes, it has opt outs, but the Yanks have to assume he is staying for the long haul).
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