Yankees’ decision confirms fears around Cashman’s two costly missteps

TAMPA — The New York Yankees spent the final week of spring training making cuts. Some were expected. Others raised eyebrows. Two in particular trace back to offseason decisions that are now creating headaches Brian Cashman did not need.

The Yankees optioned outfielder Jasson Dominguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday despite one of the strongest springs on the roster. They also sent down reliever Kervin Castro, who posted a 0.96 ERA across 9.1 innings this March. In his place, Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest appears set to claim a bullpen spot with far shakier numbers.

Both moves point to the same problem. Two offseason gambles by the Yankees front office have boxed the club into corners that performance alone cannot fix.

The $22 million qualifying offer that blocked Dominguez

When the Yankees extended a qualifying offer to Trent Grisham in November, the move was widely seen as a calculated risk. Cashman described it as a “50-50” call. But Grisham accepted the one-year, $22.025 million deal after posting career bests of 34 home runs and a .811 OPS in 2025. That acceptance locked the Yankees into a starting outfield of Judge, Bellinger and Grisham with Giancarlo Stanton at designated hitter.

The domino effect left Dominguez with no path to everyday at-bats. Cashman acknowledged as much at the start of camp, saying it was in the 23-year-old’s best interest to get regular playing time. The Yankees then signed veteran Randal Grichuk on a minor league deal, choosing his right-handed bat for the bench over the switch-hitting Dominguez.

Dominguez did everything he could to force the Yankees’ hand. He hit .325 with a .978 OPS, three home runs, 10 RBIs and three stolen bases in 14 Grapefruit League games. He showed progress from the right side of the plate and improved his defense in left field. None of it changed the Yankees’ plans.

Dominguez takes the news like a pro

The Yankees officially optioned Dominguez on Friday, two days before breaking camp. Manager Aaron Boone said the conversation was not easy but praised the young outfielder’s professionalism throughout the spring.

“[He took it] like a pro,” Boone said after a 3-1 win over the Orioles. “We had a good talk. Difficult conversation to have. One of the things that I told him is I’m proud of him, because he walked into this camp with all kinds of conversation around him and, ‘the option may be coming,’ if everything played out a certain way. It didn’t affect anything in the way he carried himself day in and day out, the way he worked.”

Dominguez slashed .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and 23 stolen bases in 123 games for the Yankees in 2025. His 116 wRC+ from the left side and 92.9 mph average exit velocity rivaled some of the best hitters in baseball. But weaknesses against left-handed pitching and defensive concerns in left field gave the front office the justification it needed.

“Just because it’s not here to start doesn’t mean he can’t continue to get better each and every day there,” Boone said. “As talented a player he is right now, there’s still so much more for him to get to. It’s a crazy game and he could be back before you know it.”

Dominguez vs. Grisham this spring

Grisham entered the final week of spring hitting .171 with a .379 OPS, zero home runs and nine strikeouts in 35 at-bats. His own self-evaluation on YES Network did not match the results. But the $22 million commitment and his Gold Glove pedigree kept him in center field. Meanwhile, the Yankees shipped to the minors a player who outperformed him in every offensive category.

The Rule 5 gamble that cost Castro his spot

The second Cashman decision drawing scrutiny is the selection of Cade Winquest in the Rule 5 Draft last December. It was the Yankees’ first Rule 5 pick since 2011. The rules are simple: the Yankees must keep Winquest on the major league roster all season or offer him back to the Cardinals.

That obligation has created an awkward roster squeeze. Winquest posted a 5.79 ERA with a 1.71 WHIP and a .316 batting average against through 4.2 spring innings. He allowed earned runs in three of his four appearances. The raw stuff is there with a fastball that touches 98 mph and a sharp curveball. But the results have not followed.

Boone gave Winquest a strong endorsement despite the numbers.

“We feel like he’s going to be a good pitcher,” Boone said. “I think he’s shown enough to keep himself in that mix for us and to warrant us taking him. He’s taken to some of the minor adjustments we’ve had for him.”

Castro, by contrast, dominated all spring for the Yankees. He had not allowed an earned run through his first four appearances and finished camp with a 0.96 ERA and six strikeouts against just two walks. He posted a 1.53 ERA in 47 innings at Triple-A last season. Boone himself admitted Castro had “gotten my attention.” Yet it was Castro who got optioned by the Yankees, not Winquest.

The math is straightforward. Returning Winquest to St. Louis would mean losing the asset entirely. Castro has minor league options. The Yankees chose roster flexibility over performance, and that is a direct consequence of the Rule 5 gamble.

Bullpen battle: spring numbers compared

The final bullpen spot now appears to come down to Brent Headrick or Jake Bird. Both are on the Yankees’ 40-man roster. With Winquest locked in by Rule 5 obligation, the Yankees have essentially handed a bullpen spot to a pitcher who has never thrown above Double-A, while sending their most dominant spring reliever to the minors.

Other roster moves trim Yankees to 37

In addition to Dominguez and Castro, the Yankees optioned right-hander Yerry de los Santos to Triple-A. Catchers Ali Sanchez and Payton Henry, along with outfielder Kenedy Corona, were reassigned to the Yankees’ minor league camp. The club needs to reach 26 players before its March 25 opener in San Francisco.

Three of those spots will be resolved by placing pitchers Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole on the injured list. Infielder and outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera is also likely to start the season on the IL.

Questions the Yankees cannot dodge

The Grisham qualifying offer blocked a 23-year-old who played 123 games in the big leagues last season. The Winquest Rule 5 pick forced the Yankees to keep a pitcher with a 5.79 spring ERA over one who posted 0.96. Neither decision was forced on Cashman. Both were choices.

Dominguez could return to the Yankees soon, especially if Stanton’s long injury history resurfaces. Stanton has not completed a full season with the Yankees since 2018. And Winquest may develop into the power arm the Yankees bullpen desperately needs. But right now, performance was trumped by roster math. For Yankees fans who watched the best spring hitter get sent down and the best spring reliever follow him, the frustration is impossible to ignore.

What do you think about the Yankees’ latest roster move? A mistake?