Brian Cashman has officially maxed out the credit card. With the payroll skyrocketing past the luxury tax thresholds, the days of signing free agents to fix roster holes are over for the winter. But just because the wallet is closed doesn’t mean the roster is finished. The New York Yankees are still hunting for upgrades, specifically on the mound, and the trade market remains the only viable path left to acquire the high-leverage arm they desperately need to pair with Camilo Doval and David Bednar.
We all know the rotation has question marks, but the bullpen is where championships are won and lost in October. Doval is electric but wild, and Bednar is a rock, yet the bridge to those two is shaky at best. Cashman could wait until July to address this, but waiting is a dangerous game in the AL East. If he wants to strike now, he has the ammunition to do it, but it will cost him a name that fans have been dreaming on for years.
Bryan Hoch Says the Kids Are in Play
According to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch, the Yankees might not be done dealing. In a recent column, he suggested that the front office could look to leverage their surplus of outfield talent to land a difference-maker before the season starts.
“It stands to reason that the Yankees could dangle either Domínguez or Jones if they aim to complete another trade before Opening Day, potentially to upgrade their bullpen, which is presently anchored by David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz and Tim Hill,” Hoch writes.
This is the reality of the situation. You can’t hoard prospects forever if you want to win a ring, and right now, the Yankees have a logjam that needs to be cleared.
The Harsh Reality of “The Martian”
Let’s have an honest conversation about Jasson Domínguez. The hype train has been running for years, but the 2025 version of Domínguez looked less like a savior and more like a flawed platoon player. In 429 plate appearances, he posted a .719 OPS and hit just 10 home runs, numbers that don’t exactly scream “superstar”.
The real concern, however, is the glove. Domínguez was a liability in the outfield last season, ranking in the 3rd percentile for Range (OAA) and posting a abysmal 6th percentile Fielding Run Value. He has a cannon of an arm (92nd percentile), but if he can’t get to the ball, the arm doesn’t matter.
Offensively, he essentially became a one-sided hitter. His underlying metrics—24th percentile xBA and 30th percentile xwOBA—suggest he was lucky to be even average. If he is only effective from the left side and can’t defend, he is a luxury the Yankees might be willing to trade for a proven reliever.
Spencer Jones Is the High-Risk, High-Reward Gamble
Then there is Spencer Jones, the 6-foot-6 behemoth who looks like he was built in a lab to hit home runs at Yankee Stadium. Jones is coming off a minor league campaign where he mashed 35 homers and swiped 29 bags, flashing the kind of power-speed combo that makes scouts drool. But the red flags are impossible to ignore. He struck out 179 times in 116 games, swinging and missing at a rate that would make Joey Gallo blush.
The Yankees are at a crossroads with him. If he figures out the contact issues, he is an MVP candidate. If he doesn’t, he is a bust. Trading him now captures that “dream” value before he potentially gets exposed in the majors. Cashman has to decide if he wants to bet on the upside of Jones or the immediate impact of a bullpen ace. One of them likely has to go, and frankly, it might be the smartest move the Yankees make all winter.