Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham are back. Giancarlo Stanton is healthy to start the year. So what happens with Jasson Domínguez? The former New York Yankees top prospect suddenly feels more like trade bait than a foundational piece of the future.
All signs point to Domínguez beginning the season in Triple-A. While that's not all that crazy on the surface — he just recently turned 23 — The Martian appeared in 123 games last season. He has three years of MLB experience under his belt, displaying only scant signs of progress. The defense is a huge drawback. He can't hit lefties yet, which limits his utility as a platoon option. Here's where he could end up if the Yankees decide to abandon ship:
Jasson Domínguez to the Pirates
Pittsburgh would be smart to buy low on Domínguez, even if the path to regular at-bats is more complicated now than it was a few months ago.
Between Ryan O'Hearn and Bryan Reynolds, the Pirates have their everyday corner outfielders — with newcomer Jake Mangum as a speedy, niche fourth outfielder who can play all over. The Pirates also acquired Jhostynxon García from Boston in the Johan Oviedo trade, who could rapidly eclipse Domínguez in Pittsburgh's hypothetical pecking order.
Despite all that, Domínguez is super toolsy, with elite speed on the bases and an ability to generate incredible exit velocities — particularly against right-handed pitching. He might begin his Pirates tenure in Triple-A, but he'd be an injury away from that Major League call-up, with the potential to blossom into a major contributor down the line. It's easy to forget that he's only 23.
The Yankees would take a gamble on Pittsburgh's No. 10 prospect, Thomas Harrington, who made his MLB debut toward the end of last season. He's a depth option on the mound for a team dealing with several injuries. Carmen Mlodzinski also supplies a substantial right-handed upgrade over Jake Bird in the bullpen, with the potential to stretch out for the occasional start (although his stuff has, historically, played much better in relief).
Jasson Domínguez to the Reds
Cincinnati has a wealth of pitching depth, which could mean Brady Singer is expendable in the final year of his contract. The numbers weren't spectacular in 2025 — 4.03 ERA and 1.24 WHIP — but he made 32 starts and logged 169.2 innings. He's durable, with 150-plus innings in four straight seasons, which is an attribute this Yankees staff lacks far too much right now.
Tyler Callihan is only the Reds' 19th-ranked prospect at MLB Pipeline, but he's got an advanced hit tool and the potential to toggle between second base and corner outfield long-term. He made a brief MLB cameo last season, so he could emerge as an offensive upgrade over the likes of Amed Rosario or Oswaldo Cabrera sooner than later.
For the Reds, it's a chance to swing for the fences on a guy with all the pieces to the puzzle. Domínguez should be a star. The catastrophic defense and struggles against left-handed pitching are major hurdles, but Cincy needs thump in the middle of the lineup and clearly isn't willing to spend top dollar in free agency. Domínguez has an extended window of control, so the Reds can be patient, with hopes of developing their next centerpiece bat in-house. At worse, he should be a functional depth piece for a long time.
Jasson Domínguez to the Phillies
This would be a fairly bold gamble for Philadelphia, but for a team in desperate need of more slugging behind Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, there's appeal to the idea of letting Domínguez test his skills in a new environment. He could start day one in left field, bumping Justin Crawford back down to Triple-A. Or the Phillies could plant Domínguez in Lehigh Valley for a year, with hopes of promoting him as Adolis García's successor in a year.
Luis Gil comes with his own share of issues, but he has two solid seasons under his belt (including an AL Rookie of the Year win in 2024) and he'd function as an important depth piece while Zack Wheeler recovers from shoulder surgery. The hope would be that Gil can develop into a regular No. 5 starter or swingman type over the next few years, but his stuff could perk up a bit in a bullpen role, if it comes to that.
New York adds an incredibly valuable fourth infielder in Edmundo Sosa — an immediate platoon partner for Ryan McMahon at third base, with the versatility to line up all over the infield as needed. He hammers lefties and is at least functional against righties. Orion Kerkering's fatal error in the NLDS against Los Angeles put him on thinner ice in Philly (at least among fans) than he deserves. Kerkering would immediately profile as one of the best right-handed relievers in a Yankees bullpen that could always use reinforcements.
Jasson Domínguez to the Cardinals
The Cardinals added significant pitching depth with the Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan trades, which could allow new GM Chaim Bloom to spin that depth into a high-upside gamble on Jasson Domínguez. The St. Louis roster is frightfully short on actual MLB hitters right now. There's a lot of hope tied to JJ Wetherholt's impending call-up, but St. Louis needs to search in unconventional places to find some pop.
Domínguez may share a few too many uncomfortable parallels to Jordan Walker, but this is a smart roll of the dice for a team without a clear path forward. Quinn Mathews and Jurrangelo Cijntje are right in line for the MLB rotation, so St. Louis can replace Andre Pallante without missing a beat. JC Escarra for Yohel Pozo is a mild downgrade at backup catcher, but the former comes with an extra year of control.
The Yankees add a depth piece to the rotation in Pallante, a seemingly durable sinkerballer with a few years of club control. Tekoah Roby would take a backseat in New York's pitching pipeline, but he's a valuable developmental chip. Pozo hits lefties well and profiles far better than Escarra as an Austin Wells platoon, so he's a sneaky valuable addition for New York.
Jasson Domínguez to the Blue Jays
New York could balk at the prospect of trading Domínguez to a division rival, but Toronto has reason to toss its hat in the ring. Jesús Sánchez was just brought in to replace the injured Anthony Santander, so there is less of an immediate need for Domínguez's services. Even so, George Springer is a free agent next winter. That could open up the DH spot, at least. Plus, Domínguez would almost certainly benefit from Toronto's developmental ecosystem. Few teams are more disciplined at the plate.
The Jays aren't going to trade, say, Davis Schneider, as their MLB roster is loaded with quality depth for a reason. This team has designs on winning a World Series sooner than later. But Toronto could tempt the Yankees with a couple intriguing prospects. Jake Bloss spent much of last season overcoming elbow surgery, but he's equipped with three plus offerings (fastball, curveball, slider) and he made his MLB debut back in 2024. He could give the Yankees some useful innings this season, if all goes well.
MLB Pipeline describes Josh Kasevich as an "organizational favorite" in Toronto. He doesn't hit for much power, but he generates consistent contact, possesses a mature mindset, and supplies potentially elite defense at shortstop. The Yankees always need better gloves. Kasevich's speed and smarts could play nicely in a reserve role before long. Anthony Volpe is still the man at shortstop for now, but Kasevich is a compelling contingency plan.