DALLAS ¨C Juan Soto¡¯s decision to cross borough lines from the Bronx to Queens could prompt another relocation of sorts, with the Yankees now expected to shift team captain Aaron Judge back to his ¡°Chambers¡± in right field.

While a final decision will depend on the club¡¯s Opening Day roster construction, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said on Monday that it ¡°makes sense¡± for the Bombers to move Judge back to a corner following a season in center field to accommodate Soto.

Having Judge return to right field would open a path for top prospect Jasson Dom¨ªnguez to play center field, Cashman added.

¡°We¡¯re not afraid to run [Judge] out in center like we¡¯ve done, but I think it makes sense to have him over in right,¡± Cashman said. ¡°It gives a clear lane for Jasson, [who] we obviously believe has a very high ceiling now and he¡¯s healthy.¡±

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he believes Dom¨ªnguez, who returned from Tommy John surgery and an oblique strain to play in 18 big league games this past season, is ready to become a starting center fielder in the Majors.

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¡°He¡¯s certainly put himself in a position to be in consideration for anything,¡± Boone said. ¡°You look at it right now, and he¡¯s probably in there. Again, I love the person and what I believe he can be as a player, but he¡¯s also very young and very inexperienced at this point. So we¡¯ll see how it all shakes out.¡±

Cashman said that he is not ready to anoint Dom¨ªnguez, who turns 22 in February, as the starting center fielder. However, that opportunity was not available late in the 2024 season, when the Yanks instead tried ¡°The Martian¡± in left field, a position with which he was largely unfamiliar.

Several misplays prompted the club to entrust the position to Alex Verdugo for the entirety of the postseason, preferring Verdugo¡¯s more reliable defense over Dom¨ªnguez¡¯s offensive potential. Now a free agent, Verdugo is not expected to return.

The Yankees also have Gold Glove center fielder Trent Grisham on the roster, having agreed to a deal worth $5 million (plus up to $250,000 in incentives) in November. Cashman mentioned that another possibility would be to partner a right-handed bat with Grisham in center field.

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They are also known to be intrigued by the Cubs¡¯ Cody Bellinger among several trade targets. A left-handed hitter, Bellinger could help the Yankees address their needs in the outfield or at first base, where Anthony Rizzo is a free agent and rookie Ben Rice is currently the leading in-house candidate for playing time.

Judge played 105 games in center field this past season, surpassing his previous career high of 78 (2022). He has spent most of his big league career in right field, where the Yankees constructed a ¡®Judge¡¯s Chambers¡¯ seating area early in the 2017 season.

¡°The great thing about Judgie is, he gives us that flexibility, not only with his ability but his willingness to do whatever is needed for us and the team,¡± Boone said. ¡°It¡¯s too early in the sense that we don¡¯t know what our team looks like heading into Spring Training.

¡°In the middle of February, we¡¯ll see what moves we make and don¡¯t make, and how it all shakes out. But one of the things you value in this game is the flexibility that certain players give you. Judgie gives you a little bit of that in the outfield.¡±