If the Yankees pursue a corner outfielder (or move Cody Bellinger to left field), they’ll need to add a centerfielder to the roster since Jasson Dominguez isn’t someone they’re going to put there.
Perhaps there’s a change of tone with an addition of Kyle Tucker, but it would be rather safe to assume that the team would prefer to add a centerfielder who wasn’t on the MLB roster in 2025.
The market there is…interesting, it will require either trading for the $20 million contract of Luis Robert or reuniting with Harrison Bader on a free-agent deal, which would be risky if its a multi-year contract.
Last season we saw the Yankees take a corner outfielder with good metrics who had played some centerfield and throw him out there to success, could we see it again in 2026?
Without mentioning Bellinger, Robert, or Bader, here are three solutions for the Yankees if they choose to add a centerfielder to their roster.
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Buying Low On A Talented Outfielder For Two Years
Lars Nootbaar had his healthiest season to date in 2025, but he battled heel injuries and underwent surgery earlier in October to address the issue.
His 96 wRC+ and .361 SLG% were both career-low marks for Nootbaar, but playing in a ballpark like Yankee Stadium could be beneficial for his swing, and he’s played a decent chunk of centerfield in his career.
In over 800 innings out in centerfield, Nootbaar has been worth -2 DRS, +1 OAA, and 0 FRV, making him a rather average fielder out there who has enough range to hold his own for now.
Nootbaar has the kind of skillset that would fit the Yankees well; he’s a high-contact hitter who works walks and hits the ball hard from the left-handed side, sporting a .341 OBP in his career.
As for flaws in his game, Nootbaar is oft-injured and a passive hitter, which means pitchers could jump ahead of him in the count if they’re attacking the zone and Aaron Judge is hitting behind him.
That being said, the upside and previous production are enticing enough for the Yankees to take a stab at this, and while he wouldn’t be a great defensive centerfielder, neither would Cody Bellinger.
An alignment of Bellinger/Tucker in LF and Nootbaar in CF provides more defensive value than having Bellinger in CF and Dominguez in LF, and that’s where the appeal for Nootbaar could exist.
One final note here; Lars Nootbaar has slugged .373 at home and .438 on the road in his career, and in 2025 he had four non-HRs (three flyouts, one double) that would have been home runs at Yankee Stadium.
Could the Yankees Steal the Mets’ Trade Deadline Plan?
During the 2025 trade deadline the Mets had real interest in trading for Steven Kwan, but not to play left field, rather having him play centerfield due to his excellent reads and jumps.
His offensive profile comes with concerns, he’s been inconsistent over the last four seasons and there’s reason to believe a contact hitter at Yankee Stadium could struggle with base hits, but there’s advantages here as well.
Kwan had two batted balls at home that would have been home runs if he played at Yankee Stadium instead, one being a triple the other being a flyout, and those two batted balls would have boosted his wRC+ to above-average.
According to this wOBACON estimator by Jacob Edelman, a writer at Baseball Prospectus and Baseball Analyst at Wake Forest (@jacobledelman), Kwan would have been a better hitter at Yankee Stadium than Progressive Field (since 2024).
He is a truly elite left fielder who I believe could provide average defense in centerfield, and if the Mets considered it and tried to acquire him, I think the Yankees should take a serious look at this idea.
While it would hurt their farm system depth, it would save them tons of money on the market by giving them an arbitration-eligible player for the next two seasons who can leadoff for them.
Kwan profiles better than Luis Arraez does because in the last two years he’s hit more flyballs than line drives, and as a good baserunner and defender, he provides value beyond just his bat.
The Yankees could reasonably expect a 110-115 wRC+ with a ~.360 OBP from Kwan, and while I don’t the team should sell out for contact, it’s hard to argue that Steven Kwan doesn’t at least upgrade the team’s outfield.
Could Spencer Jones Make a Shocking Big-League Debut in 2026?
Spencer Jones is both a profilic power hitter and an enigma to most prospect analysts because of the alarmingly low contact rates.
The speed and long arms makes him a better defensive centerfielder than the other two options on this list and the best baserunner as well, but his median offensive outcome is firmly behind those two as well.
If the Yankees call up Spencer Jones they’re taking a massive risk that he could strike out over 40% of the time and post a sub-.650 OPS, making him the kind of player they’d need to move off of quickly.
There’s also a world where he hits for tons of power and musters a league-average OPS, making him a suitable centerfielder at a low price that opens the door for other additions.
Jasson Dominguez posted 0.6 WAR last year in 123 games, can Spencer Jones in centerfield beat that number and at least remain a starting-caliber player?
At this year’s trade deadline, while Jones wasn’t untouchable, we reported that they were hesitant to deal him, moreso than Jasson Dominguez based on offers they made to other teams.
Teams could have stuck their nose up at Jones, but Empire Sports Media learned that the Miami Marlins refused the Yankees in Sandy Alcantara trade conversations due to the 6’7 outfielder not being offered in a package.
Analysts and teams are split on Spencer Jones, but if the Yankees are in the group of teams who believe in the player, then they could use him in centerfield and concentrate prospect capital and financial assets on other areas.