Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Predicted to Trade No. 1 Prospect for Slugger in Blockbuster Trade Proposal

Would the New York Yankees be willing to trade their top prospect to bolster their World Series chances?

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 No. 1 prospect in the New York Yankees' organization is 21-year-old Jasson Dominguez.

While Yankees fans got to watch Dominguez play for some of September, his .179 batting average, .617 OPS, and defensive struggles made Aaron Boone elect to play Alex Verdugo in left field instead of him in the playoffs.

Still, given how young and talented Dominguez is, New York fans should be eager to see how he'll improve next season. However, in a November 28 article, MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince suggested a potential trade proposal for this offseason that would send Dominguez to the Chicago White Sox before next season begins.

"Yankees get: CF Luis Robert Jr., LHP Jake Eder (Chicago’s No. 22 prospect)
White Sox get: OF Jasson Domínguez (Yankees’ No. 1 prospect)," Castrovince wrote.

"Robert is coming off a blah 2024 (87 OPS+, 1.4 bWAR) but in his defense, he was out with a hip issue for a good chunk of it and, ultimately, he was a member of the 2024 White Sox. That could bring anybody down. He’s still a high-impact talent in his prime years (entering his age-27 season). And he’s got pop, which the Yankees could use … all the more if they don’t re-sign Soto. Robert is guaranteed $15 million in 2025, with separate $20 million team options for 2026 and 2027.

Castrovince later continued, "The Sox give up a star to bring in 'The Martian,' who technically meets my 'big league requirement in these deals by having seen time in the Majors in both 2023 and ’24.' The Domínguez Hype Machine took a bit of a hit after he sustained an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery in 2023, then had an unremarkable (and very brief) 18-game sample with the Yanks last season.

"That New York opted to play the struggling Verdugo over him in October perhaps says a lot," Castrovince continued. "But for the White Sox, who probably aren’t going to be very good in the time remaining on the Robert contract, the toolsy talent is absolutely a worthwhile long-term gamble."

The Yankees would likely be reluctant to part ways with their top prospect; especially for someone that comes with as many risks as Robert Jr.

Then again, the Yankees' World Series window is open right now. They might decide to do everything in their power to maximize their chances of winning in 2025 — which could mean trading away Dominguez.

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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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