The New York Yankees took a risk this offseason. Instead of securing a proven left fielder, they bet on Jasson Domínguez to step up and take the job. With Opening Day less than three weeks away, that gamble looks more like a mistake.
Domínguez has struggled throughout spring training, misplaying balls, taking bad routes, and looking generally lost in left field. Now, according to YES Network and ESPN broadcaster Michael Kay, his issues may not be limited to left field.
"Well, I spoke to somebody who actually covered him in the minor leagues," Kay said on his ESPN New York radio show Wednesday. “I told you, made a lot of phone calls. And the answer shocked me. And he said to me, 'Are you an idiot?' That was to me. And I mean, I've been asked that a lot in my life.
"And I said, 'What do you mean, am I an idiot?' 'He can't play center either.' 'What?' 'Yeah, he's not good in center field. So what you see in left, it's the same thing you're going to see in center.'”
That came the same day Yankees GM Brian Cashman warned Dominguez that he must earn his spot on the roster.
The Yankees had hoped Domínguez's issues in left were just growing pains last fall when he came up to the major leagues and struggled. He played just 18 games there before the Yankees decided to go with veteran glove Alex Verdugo in left for the playoffs.
But if his defense in center isn't much better, the Yankees have a bigger problem. Dominguez, who is hitting .178 in spring training, hasn't shown his bat can play as a designated hitter.
Kay said the Yankees now face a critical decision about prioritizing a plus defender in left or center.
"He's just not a good outfielder right now," Kay added.
It is something the Yankees should have known before they decided to gamble on this plan.
The Yankees chose not to acquire a more established left fielder, though they were linked to Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar. With few alternatives remaining, the Yankees' options are limited.
The Yankees took a chance on Domínguez. Unless something changes quickly, that decision may prove costly.
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