Yankees Predicted to Cut Ties With ‘Unproductive’ $60 Million Slugger

Getty Yankees GM Brian Cashman

One of the interesting parlor games from the late summer in the Bronx was to closely watch the reactions of Yankees fans to the ever-sagging performance of veteran outfielder Alex Verdugo, and how quickly frustrations mounted as prospect Jasson Dominguez excelled in the minors.

Nevermind that Dominguez was coming back from Tommy John surgery after he suffered an elbow injury in late 2023. Or that he suffered an oblique injury in June. Or that he is only 21. Dominguez is the No. 1 prospect in the Yankees organization, and it did not take long for the team’s fans and observers to tire of Verdugo’s struggles and repeatedly call for GM Brian Cashman to make the move on Dominguez.

In all, Verdugo batted .233 this season after arriving in a trade last offseason from the Red Sox for three minor pitching prospects. He posted an on-base percentage of .291 and a slugging percentage of .356, all of which were career lows. Those numbers, combined with the potential of Dominguez, were a sore spot for Yankees fans all year.

The good news, though: The frustration is about to end. Verdugo is a free agent and according to the Bergen County Record, there’s no longer a place for him in the Yankees lineup.

Yankees ‘Not a Fit’ for Alex Verdugo in 2025

In his offseason sizing up of the Yankees’ roster, beat writer Pete Caldera notes that Verdugo’s poor performance and likely upcoming salary mean the Yankees will take a hard pass on keeping him.

Caldera wrote: “Verdugo said the Yankees were the closest-knit team he’s played with during his eight MLB seasons, and he’d like to return – though he acknowledged that path might not be available. But after a largely unproductive summer, the Yankees came to rely on him again in postseason, when he started all 14 games in left field.”

In mentioning the pros and cons of re-signing Verdugo, Caldera wrote that the pros were that he, “Provides Gold Glove-caliber left field defense, but profiles as a complementary player in the Yankees’ scheme.” And for cons, “There’s just not a fit for 2025, with Jasson Dominguez ready to be an everyday outfielder. A $10 million part-time outfielder is not in the plans.”

Of course, there are legitimate questions about how ready Dominguez is, seeing as he has posted 100 MLB plate appearances and has batted just .208 with a .747 OPS in two years. It’s a small sample size, and Dominguez has been impressive in the minor but still, he is not a sure bet to succeed in New York.

Still, the left-field spot is likely his. And Verdugo could do much better than $10 million his winter–Spotrac projects him to sign a four-year, $60 million contract in the offseason.