{"id":33908,"date":"2025-02-15T18:32:55","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T18:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=33908"},"modified":"2025-02-15T18:32:55","modified_gmt":"2025-02-15T18:32:55","slug":"breaking-yankees-high-on-jasson-dominguez-contingency-plan-in-outfield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=33908","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Yankees high on Jasson Dom\u00ednguez contingency plan in outfield"},"content":{"rendered":"
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All signs point toward Jasson Dom\u00ednguez starting in the Yankees\u2019 outfield this season. Injuries have held the top prospect to a pair of big-league cameos over these last few years, but he\u2019s healthy this spring and the Yankees are eager for him to take that next step.<\/p>\n

As Yankees manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman have pointed out recently, however, Dom\u00ednguez still needs to earn his spot in the starting lineup this spring.<\/p>\n

Perhaps that\u2019s their way of motivating Dom\u00ednguez to stay hungry this spring despite a clear path to playing time, but he is an inexperienced player with plenty of room to grow. A hot start this spring to carry momentum into Opening Day certainly couldn\u2019t hurt.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a young guy that\u2019s still got to go out and earn it,\u201d Boone said at Yankees camp earlier this week. \u201cI feel like he\u2019s in a good spot right now, he\u2019s got a good look in his eye and he\u2019s going to get every opportunity to be that guy. We certainly are hoping he shows us that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cashman added on Friday at spring training media day in Bradenton, Fla.: \u201cUltimately, there\u2019s a lane for him to take and we know he\u2019s got the talent to take it \u2026 We\u2019re looking forward to seeing the real quality player on both sides of the ball. We think he can help us, and he\u2019s got an opportunity to prove he can help us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Considering Dom\u00ednguez is likely to play left field with the Yankees this season \u2014 Cody Bellinger is expected to start in center \u2014 the phenom will need to show progress defensively. That position was foreign to Dom\u00ednguez when he was called up last September, leading to some glaring struggles. It forced the Yankees, in part, to stick with Alex Verdugo at the position in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

While it would be a huge surprise to see Dom\u00ednguez drop on the depth chart this spring, the Yankees do have confidence in their next-best option.<\/p>\n

Cashman spoke highly of fourth outfielder Trent Grisham on Friday. He said he thought the elite defender was going to play more this past season when they acquired him alongside Juan Soto in the blockbuster deal with San Diego.<\/p>\n

Aaron Judge, Soto and Verdugo ended up staying healthy and Boone barely needed to use Grisham, who appeared in just 76 games. Sporadic playing time didn\u2019t help Grisham offensively, keeping him from establishing any sort of rhythm all year long. He wound up slashing .190\/.290\/.385 with nine homers and 57 strikeouts in just 209 plate appearances.<\/p>\n

Still, the Yankees brought Grisham back this past offseason, agreeing to a one-year, $5 million deal to avoid arbitration. They believe he has more to offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe talent\u2019s all there,\u201d Cashman said. \u201cThe on-base percentage, a little pop, the fact that he can play great defense. That\u2019s why we tendered him and retained him. But I don\u2019t think we saw the real version of him because of the lanes that you would have expected for him to be able to play did not show up and did not present themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

If everyone stays healthy, Grisham\u2019s only path to playing time is through Bellinger\u2019s flexibility. There will be games where Bellinger moves to right field when Giancarlo Stanton sits and Judge is moved to designated hitter. Bellinger can play first base as well. There will be days where Boone gives Paul Goldschmidt a game off his feet every once in a while.<\/p>\n

But if all goes according to plan, Grisham\u2019s role won\u2019t change. He\u2019ll be a security blanket, a defensive sub and reserve who rarely finds himself in the starting lineup.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe manager\u2019s job is to win a division, get us in the playoffs, avoid that first round unpredictable one-and-done situation,\u201d Cashman said. \u201cSo when given the opportunity to play the best players he could, he did it on a day in and day out basis [last season]. That comes at the expense of the bench at the same time. I know it\u2019s an ebb-and-flow of trying to find the right match and keeping guys fresh and healthy and all that stuff, but I know nothing\u2019s better than making sure you go to war with the best you\u2019ve got.\u201d<\/p>\n

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