Why The Yankees Will Trade Jasson Dominguez This Offseason

The New York Yankees will have to get creative in the trade market this offseason, as the free-agent pool offers limited talent at almost every position. Their biggest need is currently left field, as they look to bring in one of Cody Bellinger or Kyle Tucker. If they do bring in one of these outfielders, New York could look to trade one of their young outfielders for starting pitching.

Yankees Could Trade The Martian

Jasson Dominguez was set to be the starting left fielder heading into the 2025 season, but his role quickly changed because of Trent Grisham’s breakout season. Because of this, Bellinger became the everyday left fielder, and Dominguez barely saw the field. Last season, Grisham hit a career high of 34 home runs, with a .812 OPS. He was one of their best hitters and will most likely be the everyday center fielder next season after accepting the $22 million qualifying offer.

Brian Cashman recently spoke to the media and dropped an interesting hint that Dominguez and/or Spencer Jones could be on the move this offseason. Cashman said to Ryan Garcia of Empire Sports Media that the Yankees had two vacancies in the outfield before Grisham returned, meaning they are looking to add an external player to handle left field.

If Cashman was confident in Dominguez, he would’ve committed to him being the full-time starter when he spoke to the media. The Yankees general manager also said he spoke to Scott Boras, who represents Bellinger, and Casey Close, who represents Tucker. If they’re pursuing both of the top outfielders on the open market, what does that mean for the Yankees’ top young talent?

Yankees Could Get a Haul For Dominguez

If the Yankees trade Dominguez, they must acquire an immediate high-level contributor. The likely return would be a top starting pitcher, which is one of their biggest needs entering 2026. The Yankees showed strong interest in former Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara at the Trade Deadline but opted to rebuild the bullpen instead, especially with Luis Gil returning to the rotation.

Adding Alcántara would significantly boost the rotation, especially with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt all set to miss the start of the season. Though he struggled in 2025, Alcántara finished strong and returned to form. It would be exciting to see what Pitching Coach Matt Blake could do with his five-pitch arsenal to restore his 2022 form. 

Another option is Brewers ace Freddy Peralta. The Brewers are reportedly open to moving him, making Peralta a cost-effective option who could immediately slot into the Yankees’ rotation. He has been one of baseball’s top pitchers over the last three seasons and had an outstanding 2025, posting a 2.70 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.