Talking Yankees trade deadline, Aaron Boone's biggest strength, Jasson Domínguez's splits

New York Times

5 days ago

Chris Kirschner discussed Jasson Domínguez, Luis Gil and various Yankees topics during a wide-ranging live Q&A with The Athletic subscribers on Tuesday. But, unsurprisingly, many of the questions centered on how the team will approach the July 31 trade deadline.
Here are some highlights from Tuesday's live discussion. To see answers to more Yankees questions, read the full Q&A.
(Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and length.)
With Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s versatility, the Yankees have the luxury of adding either a second baseman or third baseman via trade. Who are the top names that you think the Yankees will go after at second or third?
I would brace yourself for the possibility that this trade deadline might be a dud. There are too many teams still in the mix. Maybe that changes in a month, but in the expanded playoffs era, we've seen organizations would rather hold or buy than sell. Sneak into the playoffs and who knows what happens.
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If the Diamondbacks sell, Eugenio Suárez should be the No. 1 target for the Yankees. One issue with Suárez is many teams with better prospects will likely be interested in him. Do the Yankees have enough to land what could be the best player available? On a lesser level, Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon could be an option. He kind of fits the Yankee mold. He hits the ball extremely hard, is a good defender, and would frustrate the hell out of the fan base because he strikes out a lot.
After losing Cabrera for the season, there is no viable backup at (shortstop), as Oswald Peraza has proven he can't hit. Why don't the Yanks find a reasonable backup so Anthony Volpe can sit on the bench for awhile and figure out how to hit, run and field in key situations?
I would imagine that one of their focuses at the trade deadline will be trying to upgrade Peraza's spot on the roster. That's why you'll likely hear Isiah Kiner-Falefa's name pop up in trade rumors. Peraza is not a viable major leaguer. The Yankees need better reinforcements. Peraza's spot on the roster is much more important than many may think. He's the backup shortstop right now. You kind of need one because of the position's importance on the field. I've seen too many fans in their make-believe trade scenarios try to upgrade the bench without having anyone there who can play shortstop. If you're getting rid of Peraza, you need to bring in someone who has shortstop experience.
Does Peraza have any value, at all, to any other team, or does he get (designated for assignment) when the team trades for a backup infielder who can hit?
If Peraza had value, I think he would have been traded by now. He's next in line, on the position player side, to get DFA'd. Maybe a rebuilding team would send a lottery-ticket prospect to the Yankees to skip the waiver-wire line. But, yeah, Peraza has been disappointing.
Spencer Jones has to be getting promoted to AAA soon, right? — Michael M.
Thanks for the opportunity to plug the twice-a-week podcast I do with the director of 'The Captain,' Randy Wilkins
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In Monday's episode, I discussed Jones at length. He's a very strange prospect: unbelievable raw numbers, but some alarming flaws right underneath the surface. The contact rates are still bad. He's still striking out at a high clip. And yet, it seems like he's ready for a promotion.
This is my conspiracy theory take: Maybe the Yankees want to keep him in Double A a bit longer to show other teams how well he's performing and then sell high at the deadline. If you move him up now and he struggles at Triple A, maybe his value dips. In short, I would not be stunned if Jones gets moved next month.
Should Dominguez try to hit lefty full time? His righty swing just doesn't seem to work that well, and the track record for righty hitting going back to minors hasn't been that great. — Stan H.
It's too early to say, even though the splits are horrible. For his career, Domínguez has an .819 OPS against right-handed pitching and a .512 OPS against left-handed pitching. The stats say that he should give up switch hitting, but remember he's only 22 years old and doesn't have much professional experience. He lost the 2020 minor-league season, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and had a few injuries. He played about two seasons' worth of games in the minors. I just think he needs more experience before it's completely written off. There's no denying, though, that the splits are unsightly.
I hear a lot of Yankees fans complain about Boone — his decisions, his lineups, his bullpen usage, his seeming lack of accountability for players … the list goes on. Can you articulate what qualities Boone actually brings to the table as a manager and leader of men, besides his positivity? How much of their winning is because of, or despite, him? — Kris A.
First, it's impossible to quantify how much a manager helps or hurts their team on the field. He's not out there hitting, fielding or pitching. Undoubtedly, Boone's biggest strength is managing the personalities on the roster. On any given day, the Yankees have two really good players sitting. He has to make sure those guys who are losing playing time don't get upset or bring anyone else down. He deserves credit there because their culture is in a good spot. It obviously helps having Aaron Judge, too. But on the field, the Yankees have the second-best offense in the sport, the best starting pitching ERA over the past two months and a bullpen that ranks eighth in ERA. Boone deserves some credit for that. He can't just get hate when things go poorly.
Is there a statistical way to prove that the Yankees have more depth/are getting more production from their lineup this year versus last year with Juan Soto? — Jp L.
Last year, the Yankees had six regular players above a 100 wRC+ in their lineup. This year, the Yankees have eight regulars above a 100 wRC+. That doesn't include J.C. Escarra, who's also over a 100 wRC+, or Giancarlo Stanton. The stats show that they have more depth.
(Top photo of Eugenio Suárez: Chris Coduto / Getty Images)