TAMPA — Jasson Domínguez came to camp with an uncertain role and put together one of the best springs of any Yankee.
It still was not enough to win a spot on the Opening Day roster.
The Yankees optioned Domínguez to Triple-A on Friday, two days before breaking camp with a full outfield that did not have room for the 23-year-old outfielder who had 429 plate appearances in the big leagues last season.
“[He took it] like a pro,” manager Aaron Boone said after a 3-1 win over the Orioles. “We had a good talk. Difficult conversation to have. One of the things that I told him is I’m proud of him, because he walked into this camp with all kinds of conversation around him and, ‘the option may be coming,’ if everything played out a certain way. It didn’t affect anything in the way he carried himself day in and day out, the way he worked. I think he continued to get better while he was here in this camp and he performed in this camp.”
The writing was on the wall for this to happen since the opening days of camp, when GM Brian Cashman acknowledged that it would be in Domínguez’s best interest to be getting everyday at-bats, which was not going to happen in The Bronx (barring injury) with a starting outfield of Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger.
Jasson Dominguez is going to start the year in Triple-A. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Domínguez’s chances became even slimmer when the Yankees brought veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk to camp on a minor league deal, with the right-handed hitter fitting the Yankees bench better than the switch-hitting (but better from the left side) Domínguez.
Still, Domínguez did everything in his control to leave a strong impression this spring, batting .342 with a 1.013 OPS, three home runs and three steals in 13 games.
Jasson Domínguez during spring training. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Just because it’s not here to start doesn’t mean he can’t continue to get better each and every day there,” Boone said. “As talented a player he is right now, there’s still so much more for him to get to. It’s a crazy game and he could be back before you know it. The one thing I do think is he’ll impact our club in a way this year.”
It certainly sounds as if Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest will claim one of the final bullpen spots, with Boone offering a strong vote of confidence for the reliever.
“We feel like he’s going to be a good pitcher,” Boone said. “I think he’s shown enough to keep himself in that mix for us and to warrant us taking him. We’ll see in the end which way we go. But he’s taken to some of the minor adjustments we’ve had for him, the pitching group has had for him. That’s always a work in progress, but I think he’s got a chance to be good.”
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That, along with Kervin Castro being optioned to Triple-A on Friday, would appear to leave the final bullpen spot down to Brent Headrick or Jake Bird.
Giancarlo Stanton got his first outfield game action of the spring on Friday, starting in right field and playing five innings, which was the latest positive indication of how he is feeling physically.
“If we get into the season and we get into a spot where I have to use the DH from time to time for someone else and maybe he can go out there and spell us, I feel like right now, he’s in a position to do that,” Boone said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a lot necessarily, but want to be prepared for it without jeopardizing him physically.”
Spencer Jones and Elmer Rodríguez were named the winners of the 2025 Kevin Lawn Awards, given annually to the Yankees’ minor league position player and pitcher of the year. … The Yankees optioned reliever Yerry De los Santos to Triple-A and reassigned catchers Ali Sánchez and Payton Henry and outfielder Kenedy Corona to minor league camp.