The impasse between the New York Yankees and Cody Bellinger seems to have been short-lived. Just as it seemed the club was preparing to turn its attention elsewhere, the two sides have resumed negotiations.
That doesn’t mean the Yankees are buckling and giving in to the star outfielder’s seven-year demand, but instead both camps are trying to find some middle ground to help Bellinger get paid (with some security, likely of the five-year variety), while New York retains some semblance of future flexibility.
We’re not out of the woods yet, but it does seem like destiny that the 2019 NL MVP finds his way back to New York. If that were to happen, it likely spells the end of Jasson Dominguez’s Yankees tenure, according to Bryan Hoch.
A Cody Bellinger signing likely means the Yankees trade Jasson Dominguez
Reading between the lines of Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter, Hoch references the potential trade avenues the Yankees could pursue to address their starting rotation, with Freddy Peralta and MacKenzie Gore being prime targets. The Yankees insider immediately proceeded to point out that Bellinger coming back dislodges Jasson Dominguez in left field.
The 22-year-old former top prospect was part of a delicate balancing act in the outfield last season, as Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and Bellinger all proved to be superb options in the outfield.
After Judge returned to right field in early September following an elbow injury, Dominguez became an afterthought in the season’s final month, recording just 17 at-bats.
The Yankees had grown tired of the youngster’s defensive struggles, watching him post -10 outs above average and -7 defensive runs saved in just 793 innings. Further stressing things were Dominguez’s struggles against left-handed pitching. Nominally a switch-hitter, the Martian’s .204/.279/.290 line against southpaws made him a complete liability when batting right-handed.
In an attempt to get right, the Yankees sent Dominguez to his home country of the Dominican Republic to get some winter ball reps; however, his showing in LIDOM was incredibly lackluster.
The Yankees have shown no interest in any of the top free-agent starters like Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez, and if they sign Bellinger, there’s no way they’d be able to afford another big-money addition into the budget they claim doesn’t exist (but is definitely real).
That makes a trade for a rotation piece a forgone conclusion, and despite his uneven rookie showing, Dominguez still hasn’t turned 23 and holds a lot of value thanks to that youth and his immense potential.
Finally, Spencer Jones is breathing down Dominguez’s neck, and a bit further down the system, exciting outfield prospects like Dillon Lewis and Brendan Jones further alleviate the need to hold on to Dominguez.
The writing is on the wall. Dominguez still could become the all-around force the franchise had hoped for, but his failure to hit the ground running has put him and the Yankees on alternate timelines that no longer mesh. If Bellinger doesn’t come back, Dominguez is still their best option to cover left field, But if he does, Dominguez getting pushed out of the short-term picture leaves the club no other option but to explore trade options (unless they want to wait another year to maximize his playing time).
