The Juan Soto Sweepstakes aren’t expected to last too long into the offseason, with offers from teams expected to begin trickling in soon and the Yankees and Mets still among the favorites to land the star.
Still, regardless of where Soto lands — and whether it’s back with the Yankees — there will continue to be holes to fill in the Yankee outfield.
That’s where Jasson Dominguez’s future comes in.
The Yankees don’t have a true, major league-proven center fielder on their roster, since Aaron Judge is best suited for right field, as is Soto.
Alex Verdugo, who started every game in the postseason in left field for the Yankees, is a free agent, like Soto, and Trent Grisham — who avoided arbitration and is set to return to The Bronx — doesn’t hit well enough to play on a regular basis.
So unless the Yankees make multiple moves in their outfield this offseason, they will be waiting to see if Dominguez is up to the task to play every day in the majors.
The early returns have been inconsistent, with Dominguez hitting four homers in his first eight games after a September 2023 call-up that was cut short by a UCL injury that led to Tommy John surgery and then Dominguez struggling with all aspects of his game
He finished with a .617 OPS and 19 strikeouts in 67 plate appearances with the Yankees last season after a strong showing with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre that was also marred by an oblique injury that caused him to miss two months.
“I’ve got a lot of the same questions I had about him before last season,’’ one American League scout said. “He’s shown flashes, but I’d be worried about his consistency and staying healthy.”
Dominguez also didn’t look comfortable in left field when given the opportunity to play there down the stretch, when it appeared he and Verdugo were vying for postseason playing time.
In the end, manager Aaron Boone made it seem like it was an easy choice to go with the veteran Verdugo despite his second-half slump at the plate.
Dominguez doesn’t turn 22 until February, and his postseason experience was limited to three pinch running appearances. He said, however, that he gained a significant amount from being on the roster throughout the Yankees’ run to the World Series.
Whether that pays dividends in 2025 remains to be seen.
Judge will be a year older and although playing center regularly last season clearly didn’t have a negative impact on him at the plate, it’s a lot to ask of a player that turns 33 in April.
Perhaps the Yankees could swing a trade for a center fielder, but if Soto is in The Bronx, it’s still unclear what’s best for Judge.
Soto’s presence — and high price tag — with the Yankees would also force them to go with some young, inexpensive options at other positions, which is where Dominguez could come in.
The Yankees may have little choice but to test Dominguez, who arrived to the organization with much fanfare when he signed out of the Dominican Republic for $5.1 million in 2019.