The Yankees made a series of promotions over the weekend with the roster expanding and service time accumulation suspended. The team expects multiple reinforcements in the coming days, notably Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil, but star prospect Jasson Dominguez remains in the minor leagues, earning at-bats.
The Yankees are Still Leaning on Alex Verdugo
Currently, Alex Verdugo is the primary left fielder, and the Yankees aren’t ready to move on from him just yet. The 28-year-old lefty has had his worst season as a professional, hitting .234/.294/.361, with 11 homers, 55 RBIs, and an 84 wRC+. However, Verdugo has been hot over the past week, and the team still wants to see if he can build some consistency.
On Monday, Verdugo spoke to reporters, reiterating the team’s decision to keep Dominguez in Triple-A for now, although a promotion could still happen in September.
“So look, we’re paying attention to it. He’s on our board. Frankly, there’s probably no one higher on Jason Domínguez than me. Like I think he’s going to be a great player in this league. I love the makeup. I love the person. So all I can say is he’s very much in the mix right now, but we’re not ready to make that move yet.”
Weighing Dominguez’s Promotion
The Yankees know that if Dominguez logs more than 130 at-bats, he’ll be technically labeled a rookie, which would affect their future supplemental draft pick. They are giving him more time to find his groove. Since August 14, the star outfielder has hit .359 with three homers and seven RBIs, striking out just 10 times over 64 at-bats.
While it makes sense for the Yankees not to rush Dominguez’s progression to the majors, given Verdugo’s struggles, it’s fair to say Dominguez could be a better option right now. He deserves a chance to help bolster the offense as the team heads into the playoffs.
“It’s still very much in play. Just because it didn’t happen on September 1 doesn’t mean it won’t at some point. The reality is he’s started to really play some good baseball here we feel like the last two, three weeks. He hasn’t racked up a ton of at-bats this year, and when he came back from the oblique injury in the second half, struggled a little bit. Feel like he’s getting it rolling now a little bit. But that involves some tough decisions there for a guy that hasn’t played a ton yet, even at the Triple-A level, let alone a week in the big leagues last year.
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The Decision Ahead
If the Yankees do end up promoting Dominguez in a few weeks, he may miss out on essential major league at-bats heading into the playoffs, which could be problematic. The team doesn’t owe Verdugo any loyalty, as the 28-year-old is headed to free agency this upcoming winter.
It’s a tough decision for Manager Aaron Boone, but many believe that Dominguez deserves an opportunity in the majors, even if he’s coming off an injury and lacks a large sample size in Triple-A this year.