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By Jon Paul Hoornstra
Contributing Sports Writer
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As the New York Yankees sort their outfield options for 2025, manager Aaron Boone laid out the alignment he'll use to start the new season.
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Speaking Tuesday on WFAN radio in New York (and relayed via The Athletic's Brendan Kuty on social media) Boone said it's likely Cody Bellinger will start in center field with Jasson Domínguez in left field.
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Yankees' Aaron Boone on @wfansportsradio.bsky.social says it's likely that Cody Bellinger would start in CF with Jasson Domínguez in LF.Talked about how if needed, he’s able to move around Bellinger a little bit considering who needs DH days.“Ideally, would not like to move Domínguez as much."
Ostensibly that leaves right field for the reigning American League Most Valuable Player, Aaron Judge.
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Bellinger, 29, split his time almost equally between right field (49 games) and center field (48) for the Chicago Cubs in 2024. He also started 22 games at first base and one in left field.
Bellinger was primarily a right fielder when he won the 2019 National League MVP award with the Dodgers, but he saw more time at first base and center field, respectively, during his six seasons (2017-22) in Los Angeles.
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Statcast's Outs Above Average and Baseball Info Solutions' Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) metrics rated Bellinger at or near average as a center fielder last year. While he might grade out a tad better at first base or a corner outfield position in 2025, the Yankees have those positions covered between Judge, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and Dominguez.
OAA graded Dominguez below average in left field last year, which perhaps explains Boone's reluctance to move him to the more demanding center field position. Dominguez has seen time at both positions in his brief major league career, which consists of 26 games.
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Dominguez, 22, is the top prospect in the Yankees' farm system according to MLB Pipeline.
As Kuty and Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News noted, Boone would prefer to keep Dominguez in one spot, while Bellinger is versatile enough that he can move between first base and the outfield positions as needed.
The Yankees also have defensive whiz Trent Grisham on their projected bench. He can fill in at all three outfield spots.
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In December, the Yankees traded pitcher Cody Poteet and $5 million to the Chicago Cubs in return for Bellinger. Of the $5 million, $2.5 million of the money the Yankees sent the Cubs will cover his 2025 salary, while the remaining $2.5 million will either cover the buyout if he doesn't exercise his player option for 2026 or Bellinger's 2026 salary if he does.
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