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TAMPA, Fla. — The Yankees have built one of the most expensive outfields in baseball. Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham are locked in as the starters from right to left, and the dollars committed to that trio leave very little room for anyone else.
So where does that leave Jasson Dominguez? And what about Spencer Jones, the 6-foot-7 power prospect who slugged 35 home runs in the minors last season?
On Friday, general manager Brian Cashman provided the clearest picture yet of the Yankees’ thinking on both young outfielders. The short version: neither has a guaranteed spot on the Opening Day roster, and both could start the year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
A crowded outfield forces tough choices
The math is simple and unforgiving. Judge is the three-time AL MVP anchoring right field. Bellinger re-signed on a five-year, $162.5 million deal and will handle left field. Grisham accepted the qualifying offer worth $22 million after an All-Star-caliber 2025 that saw him belt 34 home runs.
Those three combined for 116 home runs last season. There is no scenario where a healthy Dominguez or Jones supplants any of them.
Add in Giancarlo Stanton as the designated hitter, Amed Rosario taking fly balls in camp and Oswaldo Cabrera providing corner outfield versatility, and the Yankees suddenly have a logjam that demands difficult decisions.
“If everything stays the same, we’ll be forced to determine what’s our best course of action to help this team be impactful,” Cashman said from Steinbrenner Field.
Cashman concedes Dominguez needs everyday at-bats
AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
The most telling remark Friday came when Cashman was asked directly about The Martian’s role.
“I would concede it’s in his best interest to be getting everyday reps,” Cashman said.
That one sentence marks a notable shift. Last season, when Dominguez was squeezed out of playing time after Grisham’s breakout, the Yankees kept him on the big league roster rather than send him down. Cashman “didn’t think that was right to do” at the time because there was still a bench role available during a playoff chase.
Now the calculus has changed. Jasson Dominguez just turned 23 on Feb. 7. He spent all of 2025 in the majors, slashing .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and 23 stolen bases across 123 games. Solid production for a young player, but hardly the stuff of the hype that followed him since the Yankees signed him for $5.1 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2019.
There are glaring holes in his game. His bat from the right side has been almost nonexistent at the big league level, with a .186 average (22-for-118) and just one home run against left-handed pitching. His defense in left field graded out at minus-9 Outs Above Average, placing him in the third percentile among qualified outfielders.
Dominguez played winter ball after last season’s playoff exit, seeking additional reps in left field and against lefties. But Cashman was candid about the limitations of a bench role for a player who still needs significant development.
“Ultimately, Grish came out of nowhere last year and had an All-Star-caliber season and took control of one of those regular spots,” Cashman said. That “kind of reduced Jasson to a role player, even as a young player.”
Jones officially “blocked” on depth chart
If Dominguez’s path is murky, Spencer Jones’s is even more congested.
Cashman said flat out that Jones is “currently blocked” from a spot on the Yankees’ 26-man roster. The 6-foot-7 left-handed slugger, ranked as the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect and No. 99 overall by MLB Pipeline, hammered 35 home runs across Double-A and Triple-A last season. He earned International League Player of the Month honors in July after hitting .419 with 11 homers and a 1.423 OPS.
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The raw power is undeniable. So is the swing-and-miss. Jones struck out at a 35 percent clip in the minors last season, and his in-zone contact rates remain a concern. ESPN recently called 2026 a “crucial year” for the Vanderbilt product, who turns 25 in May.
“He probably would be taking an everyday spot and trying to establish himself at the big league level with some other organizations,” Cashman said of Jones. “He’s currently blocked, with us, on the depth chart.”
Still, Cashman made it clear the competition is open.
“In theory, I have him behind Dominguez going in, because Dominguez has more experience,” Cashman said. “But that’s not going to stop him in competition.”
Spring training will decide everything
Cashman is not shutting any doors. He noted the Yankees still have roster flexibility, with multiple players capable of filling different roles. The club also has not ruled out adding a right-handed-hitting outfielder. They previously offered a major league deal to Austin Slater, who signed with the Tigers, and have expressed interest in Randal Grichuk, who owns a 118 career wRC+ against lefties.
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If the Yankees do import a righty bat, Dominguez’s case for staying on the roster becomes nearly impossible.
“Dominguez is an extremely talented player,” Cashman said. “He’s one of our best runners. So having him as a choice for our manager to use coming off the bench at times as a pinch-runner to steal a bag or first to third, second to home, what have you, definitely improves our chances of success because of his pure athleticism.”
But is pinch-running duty the right use of a 23-year-old with five-tool potential? Cashman’s own words suggest the answer is no.
“Clearly, we’ll have to make some decisions at the end of camp,” Cashman said. “Sometimes those decisions get made for us when injuries occur. I guess we’ll wait and see how the spring plays out and do what’s best for us when it’s time to set the roster.”
The next seven weeks at Steinbrenner Field will determine whether The Martian stays in the Bronx or heads to Scranton. For Jones, the mission is to show the Yankees he belongs at the big league level sooner rather than later.
Either way, the Yankees have made their stance official. Both young outfielders are on the outside of a roster built for right now. And for a team that lost to the Blue Jays in the 2025 ALDS without a World Series title since 2009, right now is all that matters.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
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Esteban Quinones is a proud graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Growing up just blocks away from Yankee Stadium in Upper Manhattan, Esteban developed a deep love for the New York Yankees, a passion that has been a constant throughout his life. Whether it's cheering for the Yankees or crafting strategic communications, Esteban brings dedication and enthusiasm to producing content around all things Yankees.
IMO the Yankees big mistake was offering Grisham the $22 million, thinking he would test FA, putting him in the same situation as DJ. Spencer and Jasson have kept their mouths shut and have to feel that the window is closing in rather quickly on any shot at being in MLB with NY. They gave Rice the opportunity and he produced where, as much as I like him, Volpe just doesn’t get it not utilizing his talents. Makes it hard to follow kids through the minors and see how they are treated once they start knocking on the door.
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IMO the Yankees big mistake was offering Grisham the $22 million, thinking he would test FA, putting him in the same situation as DJ. Spencer and Jasson have kept their mouths shut and have to feel that the window is closing in rather quickly on any shot at being in MLB with NY. They gave Rice the opportunity and he produced where, as much as I like him, Volpe just doesn’t get it not utilizing his talents. Makes it hard to follow kids through the minors and see how they are treated once they start knocking on the door.