Yankees takeaways on Cody Bellinger, Jasson Domínguez, Spencer Jones and the coaching staff
NEW YORK — More than a week after the New York Yankees bowed out of the postseason, it still hurts. General manager Brian Cashman described owner Hal Steinbrenner as “frustrated” and “disappointed” that his franchise failed to win a title this year. The streak without a World Series championship in New York has now reached 16 years.
“He wants a championship,” Cashman said at the Yankees’ postmortem news conference Thursday.
The Yankees had the second-best run differential in MLB this season and were tied for the best record in the American League, but it wasn’t enough for them to advance past the AL Division Series. That doesn’t mean the Yankees are planning on blowing up the roster and starting anew.
“I think we have a lot of quality that is currently here and on the come (up),” Cashman said. “The job is always to try to find ways to get better. Whatever it looks like right now, you’re going to wind up with injuries, surprising underperformance, just like you can get surprising better performance that comes out of nowhere. That’s all part of it. The job is to collect as much talent as you possibly can that you think can help your manager and his coaching staff and that team to navigate a really difficult long season and find a way to punch your way through. I think we have a lot of good, but the job is to try to make it better.”
The Yankees haven’t yet held their pro scouting meetings, which will shape the direction of the offseason, so it’s unclear how they will reload their roster in 2026. Still, Cashman and manager Aaron Boone offered some clues Thursday. Outside of key injury updates, here are four takeaways from the Yankees’ news conference.
The Yankees would ‘love’ to have Cody Bellinger back
There’s only so much Cashman can say about impending free agents. But the most important free agent the Yankees have is outfielder Cody Bellinger. Bellinger had a 125 wRC+ and finished in the top 20 in fWAR.
Bellinger will opt out of his $25 million player option and seek a long-term contract in free agency. Cashman said he has not yet had conversations with Bellinger’s agent, Scott Boras, about a long-term deal, but he did say the Yankees would welcome him back.
“I can just tell you he was really impactful for us,” Cashman said. “No question that (he was) one of the many reasons why we were in a position to believe that we were capable of great things this year when the dust settled. Certainly, we’d love to have him with our team moving forward.”
Bellinger would be cheaper than Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker and offer more defensive versatility, but the Yankees should be thinking bigger than the status quo. The market has yet to crystallize, so it’s unclear whether the Yankees will be in the Tucker sweepstakes. But in his first opportunity to give hints on which direction the Yankees might go this offseason, Cashman made it seem like Bellinger is a priority.
Plans for Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones
Will Jasson Domínguez be the starting left fielder? Aaron Boone praised the 22-year-old Thursday. (Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
Jasson Domínguez entered last offseason as the projected everyday starting left fielder for the Yankees in 2025. Domínguez started in left field on Opening Day, but he eventually lost consistent playing time to Trent Grisham.
Considering he was 22 years old this season, Domínguez had a solid season. He posted a 103 wRC+, stole 23 bases and had a respectable .331 on-base percentage. His defense was a mess in left field, though. No left fielder in MLB fared worse in outs above average than Domínguez.
Getting better defensively is a major focus for Domínguez this offseason. The Yankees hope he’ll play winter ball in the Dominican Republic to continue getting reps in left field and plate appearances from the right side.
Notably, Boone said he views Domínguez as a left fielder. That’s an important distinction to make because the Yankees have a vacancy in center field, where Domínguez played almost exclusively in the minors. Grisham and Bellinger will be free agents this offseason, and yet it sounds as though Domínguez isn’t in consideration to take over in the middle of the outfield.
Depending on how the Yankees address their outfield in the offseason, Domínguez might be back to being an everyday player next season.
“I would expect him to be right in that mix to be that guy,” Boone said. “I still really like his ceiling. I think he did a lot of really good things this year, but you’ve got to see where the winter takes you and what the roster looks like. I expect him to be a regular player for us.”
As for Spencer Jones, arguably the most confounding prospect in baseball, Cashman said the 24-year-old has “put himself in the conversation, at least” when it comes to being an option on Opening Day. Jones hit 35 home runs in the minors this season, but his contact rates continue to be abysmal. His 72 percent zone contact rate in the minors this year would have been the worst rate in the majors this season. With a jump in competition, his contact rate should be expected to be even worse.
It sounds like Jones is not the first option to be the team’s center fielder next season, and likely several other options would have to be unavailable to the Yankees for him to be the choice.
“I think how it plays out depends on how our winter plays out,” Cashman said. “He’ll certainly come to spring training. He’s earned, without a doubt, the look and the competition, but it all depends on how many opportunities exist based on the decisions that come out of here this winter. But he’s put himself in a position to be considered a potential everyday major leaguer in 2026.”
Why Brian Cashman continues to believe in Aaron Boone
For those hoping the Yankees make a change to their management team, don’t get your hopes up. Boone will be the manager in 2026, and barring some unforeseen change, he’ll be managing in 2027, too. Cashman thinks Boone is the right guy for the job.
“I think he’s a good manager,” Cashman said. “I think he’s one of the better managers. In this environment, if he was out there right now, he’d get a job probably quickly. But I also know, because of our environment, he’s someone that can be second-guessed 10 million times over. I don’t care who you put in that (job), that would be the same whoever else would be there.
“I trust him. I think he’s a good man. I think he works his tail off. I think he’s got good people that help support him. And he’s got good players. With all that, it doesn’t guarantee the outcome we’re all fighting for.”
Boone signed a two-year extension last offseason that takes him through the 2027 season. He is the longest-tenured manager in franchise history to not win a championship. But unlike in years past, that no longer means an ouster from this organization.
As long as Steinbrenner, Cashman and the players continue believing in him, Boone is here to stay.
Staff changes for the Yankees
The Yankees will need to replace at least two assistants on Boone’s staff, as the club did not offer new contracts to first-base coach Travis Chapman and bullpen coach Mike Harkey. Assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler will also not continue in his role, but he and the organization are talking through potential other off-field fits. The club already promoted Jake Hirst, the team’s minor-league hitting coordinator, to fill Roessler’s job.
Hirst recently received offers to join other big-league clubs, and the Yankees did not want to lose him. He’s been highly regarded inside the organization for his ability to relate to players, effectively communicate expectations and disseminate analytical data in digestible ways.
Even though these were changes to Boone’s staff, Cashman said he was the one who made the decisions. When asked, he did not offer concrete reasons why they moved on from Harkey, Chapman or Roessler. The Yankees could also lose hitting coach James Rowson and third-base coach Luis Rojas to managerial openings.
Cashman said the Minnesota Twins have interviewed Rowson for their managerial vacancy, and the Baltimore Orioles have asked for permission to speak with Rojas about their opening. Pitching coach Matt Blake and catching coordinator Tanner Swanson have club options, but they are expected back in their roles.
