Minus-10 Outs Above Average. That specific number is a nightmare. It isn’t just a bad season in the field; it is a defensive catastrophe that turns routine fly balls into doubles and stress-free innings into pitching meltdowns. As the Yankees flirt with the idea of bringing back Cody Bellinger or backing up the Brink’s truck for Kyle Tucker, we have to look at the collateral damage. Jasson Dominguez is suddenly standing on the edge of a cliff.
If the Bombers fill the open vacancy in the outfield, the Martian will watch his opportunity to win the job slip away.
The Glove is Becoming a Dealbreaker
We spent years hearing about the five-tool potential of Dominguez. He was supposed to be the switch-hitting savior who would patrol the outfield for a decade. But 2025 exposed a brutal reality that the highlight reels ignored. The 22-year-old was undeniably one of the worst defenders on the roster.
He posted -7 defensive runs saved over 793 innings in left field. He was traditionally a center fielder, but the team hid him in left to mask his deficiencies. It didn’t work. The issues aren’t physical limitations or a lack of speed. They are mental lapses. They are bad reads. When you are chasing a World Series, you cannot afford to have a liability shagging fly balls.
A Bat That Teases but Doesn’t Dominate
Offensively, the kid is fine. He slashed .257/.331/.388 last season with 10 homers and 23 stolen bases. Those are respectable numbers for a rookie navigating his first full tour of the majors. He was slightly above league average at the plate.
But “fine” doesn’t justify the defensive headaches. If he were hitting 35 home runs, you could live with the butchered routes in the outfield. When you are hitting .257 with modest power, that glove becomes a glaring problem. The New York Yankees need elite production or elite prevention. Dominguez is currently providing neither.
The Spencer Jones Factor
This situation gets even stickier when you look at the farm system. Spencer Jones is coming. The towering outfield prospect is preparing to kick down the door to the majors in 2026. Jones offers the kind of athleticism and power in center field that Dominguez was supposed to bring.
If Jones is the future in center and Aaron Judge is locked into right, the math doesn’t work for Dominguez. Leaving him to rot on the bench as a fourth outfielder destroys his value and stunts his growth. He needs to play every day. If that isn’t happening in Yankee Stadium, it needs to happen somewhere else.
Sell High While the Mystique Remains
Brian Cashman needs to be cold and calculated here. Dominguez still carries the aura of a top prospect. There are rebuilding teams out there that would happily trade a controllable starting pitcher for the chance to develop him. They have the time to let him work through his defensive nightmares. The Yankees do not.
Keeping him as a high-level platoon bat is a waste of a premium asset. The question is, do the Yankees still see the upside, or would they rather float him as trade bait?