Major League Baseball

Yankees playing with their World Series dreams by not promoting Jasson Domínguez

Updated Sep. 1, 2024 6:57 p.m. ET

NEW YORK — The Yankees' announcement for their September call-ups arrived at 10:21 a.m. local time on Sunday. Not wasting a moment, reporters and thousands of fans alike scanned the listed names, looking for one Jasson Domínguez, the prospect in the minor leagues who could perhaps make the most impact for a playoff contender. He wasn't listed. We looked again, this time closer. Still not there.

Huh?

The Yankees opted to call up light-hitting speedster and outfielder Duke Ellis over the slugging Domínguez, who will remain at Triple-A where he's batting .306 with a .828 OPS, five home runs and 14 stolen bases across 37 games this year. Domínguez has been heating up since returning from an oblique injury, batting .359 with three home runs over the past two weeks for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The decision to leave the switch-hitting outfielder in the minor leagues is an organizational mistake that doesn't just anger the fan base but insults those expecting the Yankees to do one simple thing: field the best team possible. Sunday's announcement — or lack thereof — broadcasts that the Yankees are not, in fact, doing what's necessary to win. In a consequential year that requires cutthroat decision-making and an all-in mentality, the Yankees have decided to tread lightly and play it safe.

What excuses could there possibly be for not calling up Domínguez? Not any good ones.

First, there is the Alex Verdugo situation and the Yankees' appetite to protect his feelings. Verdugo's 83 wRC+ entering Sunday ranked last among all major-league left fielders and second-worst among outfielders with a minimum of 400 plate appearances this year. Since June 1, Verdugo's .273 on-base percentage ranks 136th among 146 qualified MLB hitters. He has hit one home run in the second half of the season. He's also a specialist at hitting groundouts, ranking sixth among all outfielders with a 48.7% ground-ball rate. Beyond his underwhelming stats, Verdugo's body language is sluggish and dejected when he's not playing well, which has been the case since June.

The Yankees could have addressed that hole in their lineup by simply promoting Domínguez. But that would have involved an uncomfortable conversation with Verdugo, which the organization is apparently unwilling to have with the veteran left fielder. It also would have been an admission from general manager Brian Cashman that trading for Verdugo was a mistake in the first place. Verdugo, after all, is on a one-year deal and does not figure to be a part of the team's plans in 2025.

Letting an impending free agent ride the bench, or at the very least platoon with Domínguez in the final month of the regular season, should be a no-brainer — if only the Yankees were up to the task of making difficult, cold-blooded decisions.

Instead, manager Aaron Boone delivered the same, tired playbook while attempting to explain the organization's reasoning for keeping the Martian grounded. This wasn't Boone's decision, of course, but the Yankees did not make Cashman available to reporters, which would have at least been more forthcoming on their part.

"Certainly in the conversation," Boone said when asked why Dominguez was not called up. "Will remain in the conversation moving forward. When he comes up here, you're going to want to play him every day. So, he'll continue to remain in that conversation. I feel like he's, over the last couple of weeks, starting to play well, coming back from the oblique injury. So, tough call right now. But, doesn't mean that doesn't change in a couple days, in a week, in two weeks, whatever it is. But, important for him to continue to play right now."

Notice, Boone did not say Domínguez wasn't ready for the major leagues, just that it's important that he plays every day. Benching Verdugo would have allowed for that. Worst-case scenario, Domínguez struggles and doesn't adapt to major-league pitching as quickly as the Yankees need. Even then, it's unlikely he produces less than what Verdugo has been giving them. Plus, the 21-year-old phenom would gain valuable experience while learning from the best in baseball after last year's call-up was cut short by injury.

Perhaps this point isn't being made enough. How often does a star prospect get the opportunity to rub shoulders with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in a pennant race? As much as the Yankees are placing importance on Domínguez's development, wouldn't he benefit from playing alongside Soto (who is only a sure-thing in pinstripes for the next month-plus) while picking his brain? Wouldn't it be in Domínguez's best interest to spend as much time as possible in the Yankees' clubhouse, rather than plumping his stats within the drop-off of talent at Triple-A?

If the Yankees do eventually call up Domínguez later this month, it's fair to question whether they did so because of the ongoing pressure and disappointment from the fan base, or because of the extra draft-pick implications. As noted by MLB.com, Domínguez will retain his rookie status for 2025 provided he does not exceed 130 career at-bats. Right now, he has 35. Keeping his rookie status another year allows the Yankees to receive a draft pick after the first round in 2026 — if Dominguez wins the 2025 AL Rookie of the Year Award.

None of that is worth compromising the impact Domínguez can make on their title push this year. In looking so far ahead, the Yankees are neglecting their promising present.

Besides the urgency of maximizing Soto's walk year in the Bronx, Judge and Gerrit Cole being in their primes also shouldn't be taken for granted. More than any other team — yes, even more than the superteam Dodgers — the Yankees have the most pressure to win now and capture their first championship in 15 years. But they're not acting like it.

Which brings us to veteran infielder DJ LeMahieu, who also has not warranted playing time yet continues to receive it. The 36-year-old has a 49 OPS+ in 66 games this season, as well as minus-3 defensive runs saved at first base and minus-2 at the hot corner. LeMahieu has two years and $30 million left on his Yankees deal, and owner Hal Steinbrenner appears unwilling to eat the rest of that contract by designating him for assignment. By hanging on to dead weight and insisting on playing underperforming veterans — akin to Aaron Hicks' overstay in the Bronx — the Yankees are shortchanging themselves.

It was exactly one year ago today that the Yankees first called up Domínguez, as soon as rosters were eligible to expand, in hopes of sneaking into the playoffs. At the time, they sat six games behind the Mariners and Blue Jays for an American League wild-card spot. Domínguez responded by hitting a home run — off future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander — in his first major-league at-bat. The Martian would homer three more times over the next seven games before suffering a season-ending elbow injury, and the Yankees finished with their worst record in 31 years while missing the playoffs.

This year, the stakes are even higher. New York has been neck-in-neck with Baltimore all year for first place in the AL East — its lead is down to a half-game following a series loss to the middling Cardinals. The Yankees should be pushing every available asset forward to win the division, which will come with home-field advantage and likely a first-round bye. And yet, instead of showing the urgency they did last year in calling up Domínguez as a last-ditch effort to make the playoffs, the Yankees are suddenly comfortable not trotting out their best roster when they own they own the best record in the American League.

They're clearly overthinking this. The decision to call up Domínguez was really quite simple. If he's healthy (he is), and the Yankees could use his upside (they can), then bring him up. There is nothing to lose, besides draft-pick compensation and hurt feelings. Those wouldn't be factors if the entire organization was committed to winning a championship at all costs. That cost often includes putting egos aside and sentimentality on the back burner.

But that's not the route the front office took on Sunday. With just 25 regular-season games remaining, a division to win, and a World Series to contend for, the Yankees are being soft.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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