Return of Yankees No. 1 Prospect Might Push Alex Verdugo Out, Per Columnist

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The New York Yankees might move Alex Verdugo to the bench or in a trade to make room for prospect Jasson Dominguez

The New York Yankees have received some positive injury news regarding their number-one ranked prospect, outfielder Jasson Dominguez. 

Dominguez enjoyed a strong, albeit brief, big-league debut last season, slashing .258/.303/.677 with four homers and seven RBI in 31 at bats, before an elbow tear ended his season early. Now his return to the big leagues seems imminent, as he’s set to play in rehab games in the next few weeks, per SNY’s Ben Krimmel.

If and when he does return to the Yankees’ outfield, someone might have to move to the bench. And Newark Star-Ledger MLB columnist Bob Klapsich projected that someone could be Alex Verdugo.

“(Manager) Aaron Boone could, if he wanted to, put Dominguez, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in center, left and right field, respectively,” Klapsich wrote. “Their collective power quotient would be nuclear. But that would force Verdugo to the bench and probably convince the Yankees to move on from Trent Grisham, who hardly plays anyway.”

Alex Verdugo Has Played Well for the New York Yankees but He Might Be Traded

After joining the Yankees in a trade from the Boston Red Sox, Verdugo has played a big role for his new team, ranking in the top-five among his teammates for batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage so far. Before the season, he agreed to a one-year, $8.7 million deal to avoid arbitration.

If Dominguez does join the outfield and generate a “nuclear” power trio along with Soto and Judge, it could mean the end of Verdugo’s tenure with the Yankees altogether.

“Verdugo could be traded,” Klapsich noted.

But the columnist also floated a wide range of other possibilities, depending on the progress Dominguez makes through rehab, the changing health of the rest of the roster and any number of other factors at play. 

“The possibilities are endless, although the Yankees aren’t ready to play musical chairs just yet,” Klapsich added. “One member of the organization said they’ll find a spot for Dominguez when he’s ready to come off the injured list. Not a minute sooner.”

The New York Yankees Expect Big Things from Jasson Dominguez

Dominguez could also very well end up playing in Triple-A for most of his return this season, though that might be seen as a disappointment given the excitement around his potential.

“Amid the most hype for any international amateur ever, Dominguez signed for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2019 and quickly earned the nickname ‘The Martian’ because of his out-of-this-world ability,” according to his MLB.com scouting report. “He homered off Justin Verlander in his first big league game and went deep three more times in his next seven contests before injuring his right (throwing) elbow and requiring Tommy John surgery that will sideline him until mid-2024.”

Verdugo has largely improved his numbers at the plate this season, provided much needed offense for the lineup as Judge has struggled, plus he popularized the team’s identity as “barking dogs,” as Randy Miller put it for NJ.com. But the Yankees are likely hoping Verdugo can justifiably be benched or that they can even net some kind of return for dealing him before free agency, because that would mean Dominguez had returned healthy and is once again meeting the highest of expectations.