TAMPA, Fla. —Jasson Dominguez went 3-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs scored in Friday’s spring training win over the Twins. He is hitting .417/.429/.833 through four Grapefruit League games. By every measure, the 23-year-old outfielder has been one of the best hitters in the Yankees’ camp.
None of it may matter.
General manager Brian Cashman walked into George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday and made something very clear. The New York Yankees are about to face uncomfortable roster decisions. And the arrival of 34-year-old outfielder Randal Grichuk on a minor league deal may have tilted the board against some of the organization’s most prized young talent.
Cashman wants the decisions to be difficult
Cashman did not sugarcoat the situation. He acknowledged that the outfield depth chart is crowded with Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Giancarlo Stanton occupying the everyday spots. That leaves one bench role for a handful of candidates.
“He’s taking his reps and trying to push himself in the mix,” Cashman said of Dominguez before Saturday’s 5-1 win over the Blue Jays. “Clearly the everyday spot’s not there, with Grisham and Bellinger and Judge and Stanton, currently. But you know how things change really quickly, so all he can do right now, him and Jones, as well as Grichuk and anybody else, is put themselves in a position for us to take notice and we’ll evaluate what opportunities exist at the end of camp and make calls.”
Then came the line that should concern every young outfielder in camp.
“Hopefully those calls will be tough ones to make,” Cashman said.
Why Grichuk changes the math for Dominguez and Jones
Before signing Grichuk, the Yankees’ top options for a fourth outfielder were all left-handed hitters. Dominguez is a switch-hitter, but he has been far more productive from the left side. His numbers from the right side against lefty pitching are brutal. He owns a .176 average with one home run and a .530 OPS in 134 career plate appearances against southpaws. In 2025, that split was even worse: a .569 OPS in 93 at-bats against lefties.
Grichuk fills that exact hole. The 12-year veteran is a career .268 hitter against left-handers with an .819 OPS. From 2021 through 2024, he posted a .941 OPS against southpaws. He struggled after being traded from Arizona to Kansas City at the deadline last year, but his body of work against lefties is substantial.
If Grichuk makes the team, the Yankees could start him in left field against tough lefties, slide Bellinger to center and move Grisham to the bench. It is a clean platoon setup that a minor league signing from a 34-year-old provides more reliably than a 23-year-old who is still learning the position.
“Just trying to provide some choices for us,” Cashman said of the signing. “We tried to acquire him at the deadline last year. He got popped from Colorado to Kansas City, so took another crack at him again this winter.”
Manager Aaron Boone echoed the optimism about what Grichuk offers.
“He’s kind of settled into that role here now in the last few years,” Boone said Friday at Hammond Stadium. “We definitely want to see what Randal looks like and what he’s capable of, because at his best, I think there’s a real opportunity for a role there.”
Dominguez may be headed to Triple-A despite hot spring
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that if Grichuk makes the roster, both Dominguez and Spencer Jones would likely open the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Yankees insider Brendan Kuty of The Athletic went a step further, calling Dominguez “redundant” on the current roster because of his inability to hit left-handed pitching from the right side.
Last year, Dominguez lost his starting job after being deemed too young to contribute to a contender. This spring, a veteran on a $2.5 million deal may offer more immediate value.
Cashman praised how Dominguez has handled the competition.
“He’s been a pro,” Cashman said. “I think he knows what’s in his control, which is performing, showing a commitment level on a day-in and day-out basis, and then letting the rest take care of itself.”
Jones, the Yankees’ fourth-ranked prospect, has also flashed tools this spring. He crushed a 408-foot home run earlier in camp and has been working on a mechanical overhaul inspired by Shohei Ohtani’s pre-swing setup. But his 35% strikeout rate in the minors last year and ongoing swing-and-miss concerns mean the Yankees likely want to see sustained production over 400 to 500 plate appearances in Triple-A before trusting him on the big-league bench.
Cabrera’s uncertain health adds another layer
The roster puzzle does not stop with the outfield. Oswaldo Cabrera, the versatile utility man recovering from a fractured left ankle suffered last May, remains a question mark. Boone told reporters this week that Cabrera’s Opening Day status is “TBD.” He has been going through drills and moving well, but he has not practiced sliding or appeared in a spring game.
If Cabrera is not ready, the Yankees would need to fill his bench spot with another option. Max Schuemann, who is on the 40-man roster and has been hitting .571 through his first few spring games, and veteran non-roster invitee Paul DeJong are both in the conversation. That means one more roster spot could be redirected away from the young outfielders.
The projected bench already includes Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario and backup catcher J.C. Escarra. If Grichuk and a Cabrera replacement both make the team, there is simply no room for Dominguez or Jones.
The clock is ticking toward Opening Day
The Yankees open the regular season on March 25 in San Francisco. Grichuk arrived in Tampa on Thursday night, passed his physical Friday and participated in his first workout Saturday. He does not have much time to prove himself, but his track record may be all the front office needs.
For Dominguez and Jones, the message from Cashman was simple. Do everything you can. Play hard. And hope the decisions are difficult.
“I think Dominguez, Spencer Jones and anybody else is just looking to make a name for themselves and make sure people take notice of them,” Cashman said. “We’ll act accordingly.”
The future of the Yankees outfield may have to wait a little longer.
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