Aaron Boone sees Jasson Dominguez being a big part of things as Yankees wild card
Aaron Boone said he expects Jasson Dominguez will be “a big part of things moving forward.”There is a good chance he will have to be.One of the most important wild cards for the 2025 season, as the Yankees stand in mid-November at least, revolves around Dominguez’s progress this winter and next spring.Among the many step-ups that are possible, a Dominguez emergence would be enormous.If the Yankees manage to bring back Juan Soto — a dicey proposition considering the competition and historic contract — there would not be a ton of room for many reinforcements.
FanGraphs is estimating the Yankees, as of today, project for a $245 million payroll for tax purposes in 2025.Add Soto and his, say, $45 million per season, and the Yankees would have to be creative to import further while staying below the $301 million, final luxury-tax level that Hal Steinbrenner wants to limbo back under.So if there wouldn’t be much further help externally, it would need to come internally.
And if Dominguez — still the organization’s No.1 prospect and one of the most hyped teenage signings ever — can help, a few problems would be solved.The first problem: Among 41 qualified center fielders last season, Aaron Judge ranked 40th in Outs Above Average.
His error in Game 5 of the World Series was a fluke; his downturn at the position over the course of a long season that he played at 32 years old likely was real.The Yankees acquired Harrison Bader in 2022 in an effort to keep Judge in right field and spare his legs.
Three years later, they again will hope they do not have to ask a 6-foot-7 giant to sacrifice his body every day at one of the most physically taxing positions.What if Dominguez, who came through the system as a center fielder, can push Judge to left field while Soto typically plays right? It would be a dream configuration if Dominguez can prove himself defensively.In ’21 and ’22, Dominguez received solid marks from scouts and onlookers for his work in center a...