Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Brian Cashman Sends Clear Message About Jasson Dominguez's 2025 Role

New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman didn't mince words about what fans should see from Jasson Dominguez next season.

Grant Young

Sep 12, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) runs out a single against the Boston Red Sox during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Sep 12, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees left fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) runs out a single against the Boston Red Sox during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees have been extremely busy this offseason.

Their most recent move — all of which have come in a relative hurry ever since Juan Soto signed with the cross-town rival Mets — was trading for former Chicago Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger.

It's currently unclear where the Yankees would prefer to play Bellinger in the field next season, as he has seen time at left field, center field, and first base in his career. However, the prevailing sentiment is that Bellinger will likely end up at either center field or first base.

And the reason for this could be because the Yankees believe they already have their left fielder: 21-year-old top prospect Jasson Dominguez.

Dominguez was called up to the Yankees on September 10. While he showed flashes of brilliance, Dominguez ultimately struggled at the plate (he hit .179 with a .617 OPS in 56 regular season at-bats) and often looked hapless in the outfield.

As a result, Yankees manager Aaron Boone benched him in favor of veteran Alex Verdugo during the postseason.

However, Verdugo is now a free agent and isn't expected to be re-signed, which presumably creates a clear path for Dominguez to win that everyday job in left field for 2025.

And Yankees GM Brian Cashman alluded to this when he said, "I'd like to see [Dominguez] get his shot now," when speaking to the media on December 18, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Despite his struggles last season, Dominguez is still just 21 years old and has all the makings of a future superstar. A year from now, Yankees fans might be looking back and wondering how anybody had doubted New York's next major superstar.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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