The New York Yankees will open their quest for a second trip to the World Series in three years with a starting rotation that offers more questions than answers. Ace Gerrit Cole, in the seventh season of a nine-year, $324 million contract, will not take the mound until June, according to recent projections, after Tommy John surgery last year.
Former first-round draft pick Clarke Schmidt also underwent Tommy John surgery in July and will likely return later than Cole, if at all. Left-handed 18-game winner Carlos Rodón had a more minor form of elbow surgery after last season and is believed to be out until May.
The Yankees could use another reliable, top-tier arm to stabilize the rotation, even with the addition of former Miami Marlins left-hander Ryan Weathers and a hoped-for full season from last year’s surprising rookie Cam Schlittler.
A deal could be on the table to solve that problem, however. According to Pinstripes Nation Yankees analyst Sara Molnick, “a potential trade partner has emerged in the Kansas City Royals. And the deal could involve a familiar name heading out of the Bronx.”
Former Top Prospect Now a ‘Surplus’ OF
The familiar name heading out of the Bronx, according to Molnick, would be Jasson Dominguez, the Yankees’ former No. 1-rated prospect, according to MLB Pipeline rankings. The 23-year-old Dominguez was signed by the Yankees as an international free agent in 2019 for an impressive $5.1 million bonus, amid “the most hype for any international amateur ever,” according to a Pipeline scouting report.
But Dominguez has been disappointing in his brief career, making his debut in 2023 and compiling a modest .724 OPS and 16 home runs in 529 major league plate appearances so far.
The Yankees sent Dominguez to the Dominican Winter League this offseason in hopes that the extra at-bats would help the once-heralded prospect speed his development. But Dominguez struggled there as well, with just seven hits in 46 plate appearances and only three extra-base hits, all doubles.
But it was on defense that Dominguez proved to be a serious liability. His -7 defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs, tied him for eighth-worst among all MLB outfielders playing at least 750 innings in 2025.
“With (Cody) Bellinger back in the fold, Aaron Judge in right field and Trent Grisham returning in center, Dominguez has no clear path to everyday at-bats,” Molnick wrote, calling Dominguez part of the Yankees’ “surplus” in the outfield. “Top prospect Spencer Jones is also pushing for playing time.”
Royals Top Rookie Starter as Return For Dominguez
Molnick also explains that the Kansas City Royals now have “more arms than rotation spots.” The trade return for Dominguez, the Pinstripes Nation writer suggests, should be 26-year-old left-hander Noah Cameron, who started 24 games for the Royals last season, winding up with a 2.99 ERA that would have been good enough for eighth in the American League had the 2021 seventh-round draft pick pitched 162 innings, the minimum required to qualify for the ERA leaderboard.
“The St. Joseph, Missouri, native finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting,” Molnick wrote. “His four-pitch mix includes a changeup, curveball, cutter and a fastball that touches 96 mph. Cameron is under team control through 2032. He is pre-arbitration eligible and signed for a minimal salary.”
The Pinstripes Nation analyst also wrote that Royals 26-year-old right-handed reliever Steven Cruz, who threw 45 2/3 innings with a 3.74 ERA last year, would also head to the Bronx in the proposed deal.
Yankees Urged to Trade Jasson Dominguez For 2.99 ERA Rookie Sensation