NEW YORK — The Yankees came home from the general managers meetings in Las Vegas with a long to-do list and a lineup that still leans hard to the left. One of the quieter questions on that list sits in center field.
The New York Yankees were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series in October. They hit .130 in the three games, extending the franchise’s title drought to 17 seasons.
Spencer Jones was one of the few bright spots for the Yankees. The left-handed rookie hit .245 with 11 home runs, 40 RBIs and a .742 OPS over 86 games, according to Stats Crew. He also batted .389 against left-handers in 54 at-bats, MLB.com reported.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman still is not ready to hand him center field. Cashman said this week that Jones “probably profiles better on the corner,” according to ESPN. That reopens a question the Yankees have circled since last winter: Do they need a right-handed-hitting center fielder who can catch everything and spell Jones against tough lefties?
A familiar target comes off the board
For months, Washington’s Jacob Young looked like the cleanest fit. He bats right-handed, plays elite defense and was frequently mentioned as a Yankees trade target. Yankees fans had circled him as a natural partner for Jones.
The Nationals closed that door Nov. 6. Young, 27, agreed to a four-year, $23 million extension with an $8 million club option for 2031. The deal also includes a $2 million assignment bonus if he is traded, The Associated Press reported.
Young hit .252 with 10 homers and a 95 wRC+ in 2026, according to FanGraphs. His new contract makes him far more expensive for the Yankees to pry loose.
That shifts attention to a cheaper version of the same profile, one already on the open market. Jake Meyers, the longtime Houston Astros center fielder, elected free agency Nov. 2 after Houston outrighted him off its 40-man roster.
Meyers, 30, owns a 2022 World Series ring with the Astros. That Houston club swept the Yankees in the AL Championship Series on its way to the title, though Meyers did not appear in the World Series itself, according to Baseball-Reference.
Cashman keeps every door open
Cashman called the meetings “an information grab.” Bullpen help is his top priority after closer David Bednar and Paul Blackburn reached free agency. Bednar has until Nov. 17 to accept a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer.
The Yankees outfield is less settled than it looks. Cashman said Aaron Judge will likely spend more time at designated hitter in 2027 after an injury-shortened season. That could push Jones to right field on some nights and leave center field open.
Asked about Jones, Cashman praised the rookie’s ceiling without promising him a position.
“You could dream on a lot of things with that guy,” Cashman said.
He then widened the lens, making clear that several lineup spots remain unassigned.
“But it’s November,” Cashman said. “I’m not saying anybody’s our second baseman, our center fielder, our first baseman or DH.”
Why Meyers fits the Yankees’ blueprint
Meyers bats right-handed and throws left-handed. He started in center field on Opening Day for Houston in each of the past four seasons, MLB.com reported.
For the Yankees, the glove is the selling point. Meyers was a Gold Glove finalist in 2024. He followed with 5 defensive runs saved and 9 outs above average in 2025, per FanGraphs and Statcast.
The bat is the gamble. Meyers hit .213 with a .268 on-base percentage and a .326 slugging percentage over 57 games in 2026, with three homers and 11 RBIs. A right oblique strain cost him more than a month. A knee fracture at Triple-A Sugar Land ended his season in mid-September.
One year earlier, he hit .292 with a .354 on-base percentage in 104 games, the best season of his career. His career OPS of .671 is slightly higher than Young’s .652.
The price is the other draw. After a lost season, Meyers likely fits a near-minimum deal or a minor league contract.
The splits behind the fit
One detail in Meyers’ rough 2026 has been largely overlooked in the Yankees conversation. Most of the damage came against right-handed pitching.
He posted a .728 OPS in 47 plate appearances against left-handers and a .486 OPS in 95 plate appearances against right-handers, according to RotoWire split data. The sample is small, but it fits a Yankees platoon role.
Jones already handles right-handers as an everyday bat, and his early numbers against lefties were encouraging. A Jones and Meyers pairing would let Aaron Boone keep a power bat in the lineup most nights while protecting center field defensively late in games.
Durability is the catch for the Yankees. Meyers has logged 494 games in center field for Houston since 2021, more than twice as many as any other Astros player, MLB.com reported. He has also had shoulder surgery, a late 2025 injured list stint and two separate 2026 injuries.
Where things stand
Meyers remained unsigned as of Saturday. The Yankees have not been publicly linked to him since he reached free agency.
The Yankees’ list also includes a right-handed-hitting catcher to pair with Austin Wells and a third base upgrade after Ryan McMahon’s struggles. With bigger dollars earmarked for the bullpen and infield, a low-cost outfield addition would likely come later in the winter.
For now, the Yankees roster still has one clear opening for a right-handed glove in center field.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
