Jon Heyman calls Alex Verdugo ‘third worst offensive player in baseball’ during discussion surrounding buzz around Jasson Dominguez

With 20 games remaining in the regular season, will the NY Yankees solidify their spot for 2024 playoff games or will it crumble by October?

Jon Heyman calls Alex Verdugo ‘third worst offensive player in baseball’ during discussion surrounding buzz around Jasson Dominguez

Alex Verdugo and Jasson Dominguez [Image Credit: NY Post/Fox News]

In a recent interview with NY Post Sports Ryan Sampson, Jon Heyman discusses the buzz going around Alex Verdugo and Jasson Dominguez. Even before stepping into the big limelight this season, the Dominican player has caught the widespread attention of the baseball world.

Fans and critics were upset to see the outfielder not promoted to Yankees September 1 roster while the team continues to favor Verdugo despite his slumping performance. The 28-year-old made a strong start to the season, but since then has faltered too many times on the field. 

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His performance has visibly frustrated the fans and critics alike who demand the Yankees promote Dominguez and sideline Verdugo for a while. The team is currently in a clutch race against time, as they only have 20 more games before the playoffs begin. 

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Manager Aaron Boone and executive Brian Cashman have particularly been siding with Alex Verdugo despite grievances from the fan base. In a pre-September discussion, Boone noted that they had Dominguez in conversation, but whether to promote him was another topic. 

According to insiders, the NY heads had a pretty heated argument over the player’s promotion and the current status of the team. Boone has time and again shown extreme confidence in “beat up” Verdugo, rather than Dominguez who’s hitting .310 with a .870 OPS in the minors.

I personally don’t think they should be so dedicated to Verdugo…I don’t get it with Dominguez, give him a shot…
Jon Heyman on X.

Heyman even labeled Verdugo as the “third worst among players with 200 plate appearances.” He dwelled on the Yankees’ decision to keep the outfielder was maybe due to his capability to handle the left field which is usually difficult to manage.

However, his records speak otherwise. Since June 15, he has recorded an OPS of .547 with .655 overall. According to his 2024 stats, so far, he has made 11 HR, 56 RBI, .651 OPS, with .235 AVG.

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NY Yankees executive Brian Cashman’s statement on Alex Verdugo

A couple of days back, NY Yankees executive Brian Cashman spoke to the reporters in Wrigley Field about the ongoing Alex Verdugo situation. He mentioned that the organization will be standing firm on its decision to keep Verdugo while keeping Jasson Dominguez in the talks for the future.

Brian Cashman and Alex Verdugo
Brian Cashman and Alex Verdugo [Image Credit: Fox News/Pinstripes Nation]

Cashman believes Dominguez needs further time in Triple-A Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre since hurting and starting rehab for his left oblique injury in June. Cashman says it’s better to keep Verdugo who has been showing signs of improvement than to bring in the 21-year-old.

He’s (Alex Verdugo) playing much better than he had been. Just comes down to, is that the best route to go? That’s how we’ve got it set up currently…Jasson is doing everything he needs to do right now and Verdugo is playing better baseball recently.
Brian Cashman as per Pat Ragazzo of SI.

Dominguez missed a significant time due to an oblique injury and also due to Tommy John surgery in September 2023. He may be called up as the team is chasing their playoff dream, but for now, they’ll keep working with the current members, including Alex Verdugo in the lineup.

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