Should The New York Yankees Trade Jasson Dominguez for Juan Soto?
There’s no secret that the New York Yankees want to lure Juan Soto away from the San Diego Padres.
As a result of significant financial problems that have come to light, the Padres need to reduce their payroll, and the easiest solution for them is to trade Soto, their superstar outfielder. Entering the final year of his contract, Soto is expected to make $33 million in 2024 and the Padres, who already have several massive contracts on the books, are very unlikely to extend him (although they hope to).
The Yankees love Soto, and have quickly checked in on his availability this offseason. Although they have several massive contracts as well, giving the 25-year-old a contract extension wouldn’t be a problem due to the huge amount of revenue the team already rakes in.
But the Yankees still need to make a trade for him first, and there is one player that can make or break a deal; outfield prospect Jasson Dominguez.
While he underwent Tommy John surgery and will likely miss the first half of the 2024 season, Dominguez is just 20-years-old and already looks like the future of the Yankees.
New York gave him a $5.1 million signing bonus in 2019, at the age of 16. Since then, his development in the minor leagues has reinforced his profile as a five-tool player. He has tremendous power and overall hitting prowess, excellent speed both on the bases and in the field, a powerful throwing arm, and continually improving plate discipline.
Dominguez was called up to the majors in September 2023, and in just eight games, he left a fantastic impression by already accumulating 0.3 fWAR, including 2.7 oWAR. He slashed .258/.303/.677 with four home runs and a 162 wRC+. Although this is a very small sample size, the sky appears to be the limit for the budding outfielder.
However, while Dominguez has drawn comparisons to players like Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout, he’s also drawn comparisons to the same player who he could be traded for: Juan Soto.
Although Soto’s batting average has decreased somewhat since the Padres acquired him, this is completely mitigated by the fact that he’s registered an on-base percentage over .400 in all six seasons of his career so far. In 2020 and 2021, his age 21 and 22 seasons, Soto finished second in the NL MVP race in both years. In 2021, he hit .313/.465/.534 with 29 home runs, 111 runs scored, a 164 wRC+, and a 22.2% walk rate. Last season, he hit a career-high 35 home runs while slashing .275/.410/.519 with a 155 wRC+. His plate discipline has drawn comparisons to Ted Williams, and he’s only 25.
Soto, being a left-handed bat, has pull-power that is perfect for Yankee Stadium’s “Short Porch” in right field. However, his power goes to all fields, with jaw-dropping power to left-center field. A good example of Soto’s hitting prowess is the seven games he’s played at Yankee Stadium so far in his career; he’s hit four homers, but two of them were to the opposite field, while the other two were pulled to right/right-center. One homer was hit all the way into the left-field corner (which is only slightly farther than the right-field corner), and another was hit into the visitor’s bullpen in left-center; left-center field in Yankee Stadium is among the deepest of any park in baseball, but Soto effortlessly hit a homer there. As for the homers he pulled to right, they weren’t Short Porch cheapies, but instead were moonshots that would be gone in any stadium.
As for the current Yankees, they struggle with a black hole in left field (Soto’s position) and have a surprising lack of left-handed bats in their lineup. Acquiring Soto would fulfill both of those needs.
This ultimately brings up the question: should the Yankees trade Dominguez for Soto? The answer to that question is yes, but only if the Padres demand that Dominguez is included in a deal.
The Yankees definitely would prefer to not include Dominguez, as not only are they wowed by his talent, but he also figures heavily into their future plans. If he didn’t need Tommy John surgery, he would be the starting center fielder in 2024; currently, the Yankees are looking for a stopgap that can play the position until Dominguez is ready to return.
However, while Dominguez can be a major asset in the future, Soto can be a major asset right now and for years to come. Prospects are never a sure thing, no matter if they have the potential to be a generational talent, so it would be foolish to leave any prospect off the table to get a player who already is one of the most talented hitters of the current era of baseball.
Fortunately for the Yankees, they have different routes to take depending on the deal. If the Padres want Dominguez, then the Yankees can pivot to developing Spencer Jones, who is currently the team’s top prospect and is a left-handed bat who draws comparisons to Aaron Judge. If the Padres don’t want Dominguez and instead opt for the Yankees’ other prospects (like Jones), then the Yankees have a dream outfield of Soto in left, Dominguez in center, and Judge in right.
The one thing that matters right now for the Yankees is to get Soto by any means necessary, as he solves several glaring issues that the team currently has. Although it would sting to lose Dominguez in the process, it shouldn’t be a deal breaker. If they can find a way to get Soto without giving up Dominguez, that would be excellent, but if San Diego demands Dominguez in the deal, then the Yankees should include their young phenom in an offer that the Padres can’t refuse.
