About the Off-Season: Getting Closer.

Today is January 28th. Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training for the Yankees on February 12^th.  That's 15 days from today. That's two weeks and one day. That's two weeks from tomorrow. I'm staring out at almost two feet of snow on my deck. The pipe to my kitchen sink is frozen. I needed that information.

This has been a cold winter and we've had more snow here in Connecticut than we have in the past few years. I don't know about you folks who are reading this, but I used to love the snow when I was a kid. I liked just about every aspect of it. I liked sledding. I liked making snowmen. It didn't really matter. I just loved to be out in the snow. Even when I was older, I liked it. I liked going for walks in the snow. I liked snow but not ice.  I liked ice less than Tim Walz.  Now, I don't like snow either. I have mobility issues and use a cane, so my new motto is “if it's snowing, I ain't going.”

Besides the fact that the weather hasn't been great this winter, the Yankees have not done very much. It has largely been an off-season full of inactivity. There has been a lot of speculation and rumors, but nothing really materialized other than the re-signing of Cody Bellinger. The only two players the Yankees added were Cade Winquest and Ryan Weathers. Winquest was a Rule 5 acquisition, and Weathers was the only player for whom the Yankees traded.

Now, it is possible that the Yankees could make another trade or even sign a free agent. That seems to be less likely since they appear to be loath to spend money and there really aren't a lot of players out there who would fit the bill. There has been some speculation about them bringing in Eugenio Suarez to play third base despite his shoddy defense with the thought that he could also fill in at DH if need be. That is an intriguing idea based on his power but do the Yankees really need an older DH-type with limited defensive abilities. They have that player already. His name is Giancarlo Stanton.

So, since the Yankees didn't do much, I guess it would be safe to assume that I am not very excited about Spring Training. That is not the case. Perhaps I'm more excited because they didn't do much than I would be if they brought in multiple players. Why am I excited? Because there is a lot of opportunity there. We can see many of the young players the Yankees have. There are a lot of games in Spring Training. In addition, Aaron Judge and David Bednar will officially be competing in the WBC. Jazz Chisholm, Jr. and Austin Wells may also be playing in the WBC.

That means that many of the young players such as Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones will get a lot of at bats or playing opportunities. That is a good thing. Based on what he did last year for the Yankees, Dominguez, who will only be 23 this year could get to play a lot during the regular season. Whether or not he will is up to Aaron Boone. However, let's take a look for a minute.

In 2024, Ben Rice played 50 games for the Yankees. He hit seven home runs with 23 RBI and batted .171. In 2025, Rice played 138 games and batted .255 with 26 home runs and 65 RBI.

In 2025, Jasson Dominguez played 123 games. He batted.257 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI. He also stole 23 bases.  Dominguez's numbers in 2025 were comparable to those of Rice in 2025. Rice had more home runs and RBI. He had a lot more home runs, but Dominguez stole a lot of bases. However, the better comparison would be Rice's 2024 numbers against Dominguez’s 2025 numbers and there is no comparison. My point is that it's quite likely that if given the opportunity, Dominguez will make a big jump in 2026. I truly hope that he gets that opportunity with the Yankees and not with another team. I also hope that he does get to play a lot. Let's look at something else.

We all know that Trent Grisham had a very good year in 2025. It was so good that he will be earning $22 million from the Yankees this season. However, let's look at his 2024 season. In 2024, Grisham played 76 games for the Yankees. He batted .190 with nine home runs and 31 RBI. He had one stolen base. The season that Dominguez put up in 2025 is far superior to the one Grisham put up in 2024.

Dominguez hardly played from the beginning of August on last season. He had one at bat in the postseason. If Cody Bellinger plays first base at least occasionally or other opportunities arise, I fully believe that Dominguez will have a very good season and will force himself into the lineup. That is one of the reasons I'm excited as I stare out onto the mountain of snow on my deck. I realize that with Boone’s history of handling youngsters, it could be an uphill battle, but Rice found a way last year. I think Dominguez will do the same this year. It's nice to be thinking about warmth and spring and baseball. It will be here in two weeks.