For all intents and purposes, outfielder Jasson Dominguez has been off the table in trade negotiations involving the New York Yankees.
Yet, that may no longer be the case.
After the Yankees locked in Cody Bellinger to a five-year contract earlier this week, their outfield is looking full, and ESPN’s Jorge Castillo is predicting New York will deal the soon-to-be 23-year-old before the start of spring training.
Dominguez, who signed with the Yankees as a 16-year-old in 2019 and has been dubbed “The Martian” for his out-of-this-world potential, set career highs in games (123), home runs (10) and bWAR (0.5).
Cody Bellinger Re-Signing Blocks Jasson Dominguez
The Yankees opted to primarily run back their 2025 roster by signing Bellinger to play every day in either left field or center field. Trent Grisham played 143 games entirely in center field last year and accepted his qualifying offer at the beginning of the offseason, locking him in on a one-year, $22.05 million contract.
So Dominguez is currently blocked, and even though his speed is a weapon, he could be more valuable to the Yankees via trade, according to Castillo.
“Bellinger re-signing with New York was great news for just about everyone associated with the organization except for Dominguez,” Castillo wrote Friday. “The former can’t-miss prospect was previously projected to start in left field for the Yankees. Now that job belongs to Bellinger, dislodging Dominguez from an every-day role.”
Over his injury-plagued 149-game career, Dominguez has an OPS+ of 103, making him a slightly above-average offensive player with some serious defensive liabilities. Plus, he may have even been passed over by Spencer Jones in the prospect pecking order, even though Jones is older than Dominguez by almost two full years.
Dominguez still played about 76% of the team’s games in 2025, even with Bellinger, Grisham and of course two-time-reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge in the outfield, meaning there will certainly be a spot for Dominguez to find playing time in the outfield. But 2026 is shaping up as a show-me season for Dominguez if he’s on the Yankees.
“The switch-hitting Dominguez’s speed and ability to hit left-handed against right-handed pitching could make him an asset off the bench,” Castillo wrote. “He turns 23 in February. But he’s a poor defender — the Yankees clearly don’t believe he’s a big league center fielder and he struggled mightily in left last season — and he hasn’t proved he can hit right-handed in the majors.”
The Yankees Could Max Out Jasson Dominguez’s Value Via Trade
The Yankees don’t have many holes. They won 94 games in 2025, despite an array of injuries to Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, ace starter Gerrit Cole and others, plus inconsistent bullpen and output from their third-base position.
Still, a talent like Dominguez’s doesn’t grow on trees. There may be holes in his game, but with every-day reps and less-pressure-packed development, he could flower into a good MLB player.
Plus, the Yankees could decide Dominguez can be a trade chip to land another starting pitcher — though any deal for Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal would surely involve Dominguez plus Jones and more like Adam Warren and Cam Schlittler.
“The Yankees could use him as part of a trade to bolster another area — perhaps pitching help or a right-handed-hitting catcher or outfielder,” Castillo wrote.
Yankees Predicted To Make Major Trade Before Start Of Spring Training