Yankees' Manager Tries to Justify Jasson Domínguez Demotion

It's hard to fathom why a guy like Jasson Domínguez was demoted while the New York Yankees are expected to have Randal Grichuk on their Opening Day roster.

It's not only Grichuk, but guys like Ryan McMahon and Trent Grisham have also been horrible this spring.

Domínguez had an OPS north of 1.000 for most of his 2026 Spring Training campaign. At the time of writing, his OPS is still greater than Grisham and McMahon's combined, two guys who will absolutely make the Opening Day roster.

If you throw Grichuk in the mix, that trio has a combined OPS of 1.225 while Domínguez's total sits at .978. There are plenty of other factors to look at, but the reason Aaron Judge gave for this demotion just doesn't add up.

Aaron Boone Breaks Down Jasson Dominguez Decision

“As talented a player as he is right now, there’s still so much more for him to get to.” - Aaron Boone, on Jasson Domínguez https://t.co/HdUJ4xZPNQ
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 21, 2026

"One of the things I told him is that I’m proud of him,” Boone told Bryan Hoch. "He walked into this camp with all kinds of conversation around him. It didn’t affect anything in the way he carried himself, day in, day out, the way he worked.”

At the end of the day, Boone said, "You want him [Domínguez] playing regularly. That's ultimately what it comes down to."

Aug 25, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Domínguez (24) watches from the dugout after hitting a two run home run in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Seeing as the Yankees didn't have a spot in mind for him on the big league roster, they'd rather keep him fresh and ready to go at the Triple-A level. His reasoning is sound and logical, but it's just a bit mind-blowing when his numbers are compared to his bench replacement or a guy like Grisham, who is making $20 million more than him.

Jasson Dominguez Will Be Back

Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Reassigned C Ali Sánchez, C Payton Henry and OF Kenedy Corona to minor league camp.
• Optioned RHP Kervin Castro, RHP Yerry de los Santos and OF Jasson Domínguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 20, 2026

It's not a matter of if, it's when Dominguez will be back at the big league level. This isn't supposed to be seen as a demotion, rather a way to keep Dominguez on his toes and have him in a lineup consistently, something Boone and GM Brian Cashman can't guarantee would be the case in New York.

"As talented a player as he is right now, there’s still so much more for him to get to,” Boone added. “It’s a crazy game. He could be back before you know it. And the one thing I do think is, he’ll impact our club in a way this year.”

Many expect Grichuk to be the Yankees' final bench player. He was a late addition to their 2026 roster and received an invite to Spring Training. The 34-year-old has just two hits in 16 at-bats and has done nothing of note so far, but it seems like the Yankees have already made up their mind and there's no going back now.

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