As the New York Yankees made more spring training cuts on Friday, some names came as a bit of a surprise. Before their game against the Baltimore Orioles, the team optioned outfielder Jasson Domínguez and right-handers Kervin Castro and Yerry De los Santos to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. New York also reassigned outfielder Kenedy Corona and catchers Ali Sánchez and Payton Henry to minor league camp. Domínguez, an experienced major leaguer, and Castro, an up-and-comer thought to have a shot at an Opening Day roster spot, were the biggest surprises.
Jasson Domínguez Part of Latest Roster Cuts by Yankees
Domínguez often struggles to get regular playing time with the Yankees for various reasons. If it’s not an injury, it’s an outfield traffic jam. Once the Yankees re-signed Cody Bellinger and retained Trent Grisham via a qualifying offer, Domínguez was boxed in already this offseason.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
• Reassigned C Ali Sánchez, C Payton Henry and OF Kenedy Corona to minor league camp.
• Optioned RHP Kervin Castro, RHP Yerry de los Santos and OF Jasson Domínguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 20, 2026
While it makes sense on a technical level why the Yankees opted to start him at Triple-A this year, it remains somewhat of a shock that he won’t be in the dugout on Opening Day. This is especially true due to Domínguez’s strong spring. In 13 exhibition games, he is hitting .342 with three home runs, 10 RBI, and a 1.013 OPS. With numbers like that, one has to believe he’ll see playing time at the big-league level sometime this season. If the Yankees can’t find a spot for him this year or beyond, it may be time to entertain Jasson Domínguez as a trade chip.
Castro turned a lot of heads this preseason, pitching to a 0.96 ERA in seven spring outings. The 27-year-old had brief MLB stints with the San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs in 2021 and 2022. The Yankees added him to the 40-man roster in November. With the relief corps arguably the most questionable aspect of this Yankees team, Castro seemed to be a shoo-in for a bullpen spot. Now he’ll have to wait, at least for a little bit. At the first sign of trouble or injury, it would be no surprise to see him get the call.
De los Santos could be a reliable option down the road as well. In 25 games with the Yankees last year, he pitched to a 3.28 ERA with 28 strikeouts, although his 17 walks were a bit concerning.
Main Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
