Yankees Must Prepare for Worst Case With Young Outfielder

Jasson Dominguez is playing Dominican Winter League ball with the Leones del Escogido, and his showing has not been promising so far. The young New York Yankees outfielder is slashing .184/ .306/ .263 with no homers across 46 plate appearances, (h/t Stephen Parello) adding just another reason the Yankees need to be aggressive in free agency this winter.

Dominguez, 22, is one of the Yankees' backup outfield options for 2026 if they find themselves unable to land either Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker in free agency, and neither player appears up to the task just yet, at least for a Yankees team trying to contend.

With finite time left with superstar outfielder Aaron Judge, the Yankees need to be building a super team, not falling back on underdeveloped bats with underwhelming defense to boot.

A recent trade proposal from Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter would send Dominguez to the Marlins in exchange for starting pitcher Edward Cabrera, but that also depends on the Yankees' ability to snag Bellinger or Tucker.

Yankees' Other Outfield Options

Mar 4, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones (78) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Yankees' other current outfield option if everything goes sideways is Spencer Jones, 24, a hard-hitting up and coming prospect with under-proven defense skills and a concerningly high strikeout rate in the minors. Both players have considerable potential if given enough time to develop, but under the gun, they likely aren't what the Yankees need in left field in 2026.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has been optimistic on Dominguez this offseason, but this is the same man who seems to think the Yankees don't necessarily need another starting pitcher.

"I still really like his ceiling,” Boone said of Dominguez in early November, before Winter Ball. “I think he did a lot of really good things this year. But again, you’ve got to see where the winter takes you and what the roster looks like. I expect him to be a regular player for us.”

Aug 16, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (24) reacts after hitting a one run single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Tucker is expected to sign with a team before Bellinger, leaving the Yankees in a tight spot for both coveted players. They would prefer Bellinger, it seems, due to his excellent fit and 2025 season in New York, and the lower payroll ask compared with the top free agent target in the MLB.

Tucker, expected to be more expensive and a slightly inferior defender (though also slightly younger), could be the Yankees' most practical "you can't fire me, I quit" move on the Bellinger question, but it could also blow up their nebulous payroll goals.

The Yankees' outfield is a mess with more questions than answers at this point, but at least Dominguez isn't looking particularly good either.

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