The New York Yankees have made it clear they are mostly content with rolling out the team they had in place before the offseason begin, which will also include a returning Gerrit Cole at some point. Apparently, though, there is one hole general manager Brian Cashman is looking to plug in before Opening Day. An additional right-handed hitter who plays the outfield can give the lineup valuable versatility and flexibility.
New York is scouring the free-agent and trade market to fill that need, according to The Athletic's Brendan Kuty. The Yankees extended an offer to Austin Slater earlier in the winter and are also considering Randal Grichuk. The former was 3-for-25 with 16 strikeouts in a minuscule sample size with the club last season, and the latter has been streaky throughout his 12-year MLB career.
Neither option will be incredibly appealing to fans, especially since the more consistent Austin Hays just signed with the Chicago White Sox. The Yankees checked in on the 2023 All-Star, per Kuty, but they were unlikely to give him an everyday role. Old friend and southpaw-crusher Rob Refsnyder was also an interesting possibility before he joined the Seattle Mariners in December.
Although the free agency pool is looking quite shallow, perhaps there is a competent candidate out there who can stretch New York's position player group. Starling Marte was fairly productive in 2025, sneakily posting a .270 batting average and .745 OPS in 98 games. He is 37 years old, however. A reunion with Miguel Andujar could also warrant some consideration.
The former lauded prospect slashed .318/.352/.470/.822 in 94 games last year and frequently punished left-handed pitching. But he can be a defensive liability. Whoever New York pursues is going to come with some drawbacks, as is the case for most players who are still available in late-January/early-February.
When weighing the pros and cons, a good portion of the fan base may advocate for in-house option Jasson Dominguez. The soon-to-be-23-year-old notched an above-league average 101 OPS+ in 123 games and is still a promising hitter. However, he also batted .204 with a .290 slugging percentage and .569 OPS against lefties and floundered in the field.
The Yankees have a tough decision to make, but what is more important than who they choose, is how they position this potential free-agent acquisition for success.
