Will the Yankees have to part ways with former top prospect?

One of the biggest conversations surrounding the Yankees’ offseason plans has to do with their outfield, as the team is mulling the various options they have at hand.

If the team pursues Kyle Tucker, it will create a need for a centerfielder, as Jasson Dominguez isn’t a player the Yankees consider capable of playing the position it seems.

Cody Bellinger’s return would put him in centerfield, but his glove has declined at that position, and next to him would be a firmly below-average defender in left field.

Spencer Jones’ breakout season and the clear appeal that exists with signing Kyle Tucker creates a massive question about Jasson Dominguez’s future in the organization, one that’s occurring sooner than most hoped.

A talented hitter who has the ability to become an impact player for years to come, the Yankees shouldn’t let him stand in the way of a Tucker pursuit, but what does that mean for his time in New York?

READ MORE: A look at the Yankees’ perfect 2026 outfield scenario

Why Jasson Dominguez Hasn’t Solified His Place in the Yankees’ Core

Let’s travel back to last offseason, right after the team was notified by Juan Soto and his camp that they intended to sign with the New York Mets.

A swift pivot occurred, as the team would sign Max Fried to a record-setting contract and turn its sights on solving its outfield issues.

Kyle Tucker was a player of great interest to the Yankees when he was made available for trade by the Astros, a player whom Cashman wasn’t completely against trading Jasson Dominguez for.

The team would offer him in a package seven months later for Jhoan Duran, who would eventually be dealt to the Phillies, sources told Empire Sports Media.

New York’s willingness to trade Dominguez at various points over the last 365 days makes you wonder whether the team will entertain trade conversations for him once again this winter.

When players view young players as part of their core, they often have to rebute attempts from other teams to trade for him, what’s usually happened is the Yankees have proposed Dominguez in a deal and been rejected by another squad.

The Yankees were not willing to trade Ben Rice last deadline despite numerous teams making valiant efforts to get a deal across, recognizing Rice’s upside as a power-hitter who could develop into a passable defensive catcher.

Only Will Smith and Cal Raleigh recorded higher wRC+ numbers than Ben Rice at the catcher position last year, and his xOPS was the best at the position (minimum 300 PAs).

When Anthony Volpe was a prospect, the team had turned down numerous deals for him, refusing to trade him for Luis Castillo in 2022 or Matt Olson a few months before that.

It doesn’t feel as if the Yankees will extend that same treatment to Dominguez, nor does it feel as if teams value him the way they did Volpe as a prospect or Rice in the present day.

Jasson Dominguez is not a viable candidate to move to centerfield while Spencer Jones projects to be an above-average defender at the position, which could allow him to climb up on the team’s depth chart.

There’s upside for Jasson Dominguez to become a good player; I genuinely believe he can hit and run the bases at a high level, allowing him to hit at the top of New York’s lineup.

Issues stem from his defensive abilities, or lack thereof, and the existence of a player like Kyle Tucker on the market who can change the team’s offensive dynamic.

With a hitter like Tucker in the lineup, the Yankees could have more contact, patience, and power in their lineup at the same time, and they can’t turn that down because of Dominguez.

Corey Seager wasn’t signed in part because of the team’s faith in Anthony Volpe, a mistake that could have cost them a championship in hindsight.

The same rings true for not trading Miguel Andujar and Clint Frazier for Gerrit Cole in 2018, which may have sent the Yankees to the 2019 World Series with a chance to take down the Nationals.

It even goes as far back as not acquiring Cliff Lee over not offering up Eduardo Nunez or Ivan Nova to complete a deal; a ghastly error which cost them a trip to the World Series in 2010.

The Yankees do not have the kind of faith in Jasson Dominguez, based on what I can report, that they had in Anthony Volpe when he was coming up through the system.

Whether fans are okay with that or not, they aren’t unjustified in their skepticism regarding a corner outfielder struggling to handle his position and his long-term upside.

Allowing that to prevent them from either acquiring a centerfielder to slide Cody Bellinger to left field or more importantly, prevent the pursuit of Kyle Tucker would be another mistake that haunts fans.