Yankees have worst possible reason to not promote Jasson Dominguez

The New York Yankees kept Jasson Dominguez, their No. 1 prospect, with Triple-A Scranton yesterday, despite the MLB roster limit increasing from 26 to 28. Dominguez made a brief cameo for the big-league squad in last month's Little League Classic, batting 0-for-4, but he was swiftly sent back to the minors, where he appears destined to finish the season.

Called up in Dominguez's place was outfield speedster and pinch-run extraordinaire Duke Ellis, recently acquired via waivers from the Seattle Mariners. It reeks of unseriousness from the front office. Presented with a chance to develop their No. 1 prospect while getting a tangible boost in the outfield, New York takes the least inspiring route imaginable. Ellis has appeared in eight games this season and registered four at-bats, all with the Chicago White Sox, the worst team in baseball.

The reason for Dominguez's sustained demotion is simple on the surface. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that New York wants Dominguez on the field "every day" when he does get his call-up. Essentially, until there's a clear lane for Dominguez to occupy a full-time spot in the lineup, New York will keep him in Triple-A, where he can rack up reps.

"He will remain in the conversation moving forward," Boone told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "When he comes up here, we’re going to want to play him every day, so he’ll continue to remain in the conversation."

The 21-year-old Dominguez is on the 40-man roster, so the Yankees can still bring him up before the playoffs. Without a clear avenue in the outfield, though, it seems unlikely. The reason no such lane exists is even more maddening.

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Yankees' faith in Alex Verdugo could delay obvious Jasson Dominguez ascent

In the simplest possible terms, New York is not going to bench Aaron Judge or Juan Soto. The only way to open a lane for Dominguez is by sitting Alex Verdugo, who has underwhelmed in his first campaign with the Yankees. The 28-year-old is batting .234 on the season with a paltry .654 OPS, netting 11 home runs and 55 RBI through 499 ABs.

On the surface, it's a rather obvious choice. Verdugo is in the final year of his contract and does not profile as a long-term option for the Yanks. Dominguez has been eviscerating pitchers at the Triple-A level and he is, in fact, a long-term option for the Yanks. Perhaps the long-term option, potentially cementing the third pillar of New York's outfield next to Judge and Soto for the next several years, assuming the latter sticks around in free agency.

And yet, Verdugo has been on a mild heater of late — 11-for-30 with a couple extra-base hits in his last eight games — and he is regaining the confidence of New York's coaches. At the end of the day, the Yankees are trying to win a World Series this season. If there is a superior vet on the roster, he will get the nod over Dominguez. It's just a question of whether or not Verdugo, who has otherwise been awful since the All-Star break, is actually "better."

Here is what Boone said about Verdugo after a two-hit performance in Sunday's loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

"You scratch underneath and it is in line with what [Verdugo has] done most of his career, as far as contact quality. He can really defend in left. If he can get it going, talking about [adding] length to the lineup, he certainly can provide that.”

That sounds like a manager in love, which puts Dominguez's immediate future in doubt. While the Yankees fandom is more than eager to get their top prospect on the MLB stage, management is clearly less inclined to bite the bullet.

Dominguez has a long and fruitful career ahead of him at 21, so Yankees fans will get their man eventually. As for the next couple months, however, don't get your hopes up.