ORLANDO — With not much happening at the Winter Meetings on Monday afternoon, Aaron Boone held court with reporters for about half an hour inside a ballroom at the Signia by Hilton hotel. There, the manager mostly dished on topics that he or Brian Cashman had already addressed since the Yankees’ season ended with the ALDS in early October. For example, Boone reiterated that Ben Rice is currently seen as the Bombers’ first baseman, Gerrit Cole won’t be ready for Opening Day, and Spencer Jones has put himself in a “strong position” for a “real look” this spring… depending on several other moving parts within and outside of the Yankees’ roster. There wasn’t much new ground covered. However, Boone did say that he has not played an active part in recruiting Cody Bellinger back to the Yankees. He said that’s how he typically approaches free agents who have already donned the pinstripes, as “they know who we are” and “they know what we’re about.” “When it gets to a point where we’re starting to get down the road or be in conversations, I’ll certainly have those conversations with guys where I see it fit,” Boone said less than 24 hours after Cashman declined to say if the Yankees have extended a formal offer to Bellinger. While Boone is not working the phones to get Bellinger back in the Bronx, the skipper did restate that he hopes that’s the end result. “Who wouldn’t want a player like that?” Boone said after praising Bellinger’s on-field impact and clubhouse presence. Of course, there’s no guarantee that Bellinger comes back, which leads us to a few other takeaways from Boone’s press conference. DOMÍNGUEZ STILL SEEN AS SWITCH-HITTER If Bellinger returns, he will primarily play left field. The chances of Jones or Jasson Domínguez being traded would then increase. If not, either youngster could potentially get the job. Domínguez entered last season as the Yankees’ starting left-fielder, but he struggled defensively. A switch-hitter, he also posted a .569 OPS from the right side of the plate. By season’s end, he was a seldom-used bench piece while Bellinger, Trent Grisham and Aaron Judge locked down the outfield. Boone still believes The Martian can be a viable switch-hitter and threat from the right side. That faith stems from the fact that the 22-year-old, fresh off his first full big league season, still hasn’t played in many professional games due to injuries and the COVID-cancelled 2020 minor league season. “We’re talking about a very, very young player that didn’t play a ton of minor league baseball, and what suffers from that? The side you don’t hit from as much,” Boone said. “It’s a natural side for him. He’s a natural right-handed hitter. “I don’t think it’s out of the question that at some point that right-handed [swing] catches up to the left side. We’ll see. I think he has the ability to do it.” Cashman shared similar hope and reasoning on Sunday with Domínguez having wrapped up an 11-game stint with the Dominican Winter League’s Escogido Baseball Club. Domínguez didn’t hit particularly well over that stretch, batting .184 with three doubles, but he didn’t make an error in left. Cashman added that the Yankees’ hitting coaches and outfield coach Luis Rojas gave Domínguez “a whole checklist” of things to work on and coordinated with Escogido. GRISHAM’S DEFENSE ISN’T WORRYING BOONE Grisham, back as the Yankees’ center fielder after accepting the qualifying offer, did not have a strong defensive season in 2025, according to various advanced metrics. The two-time Gold Glover had -2 OAA, -11 DRS and a -3 FRV, all easily career-worsts. Meanwhile, his sprint speed ranked in the 32nd percentile. Boone wasn’t worried about any of that, though, insisting the 29-year-old is still better than those numbers would indicate. He also noted that Grisham played through a hamstring injury for a bit last season. “I think overall, you still watch him play the position, and you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s a real center fielder,’” Boone said. “It’s not unrealistic that he gets back to being more in line with that Gold Glove caliber guy with better health, with just having a good offseason.” While Boone believes Grisham can bounce back, the player’s sprint speed has steadily declined since 2022, when he ranked in the 88th percentile. Grisham has also dropped in OAA in each season since 2022, though he didn’t play much in 2024. A COACHING DECISION With Desi Druschel back as the Yankees’ assistant pitching coach after a season with the Mets, Boone said that Preston Claiborne will fill the role of bullpen coach following Mike Harkey’s departure. Claiborne was the Yankees’ assistant pitching coach last year, and both he and Druschel were listed under that title when the Yankees recently announced their coaching staff. Boone also said that no new position has materialized for Pat Roessler, though that could still happen. Cashman previously said that the Yankees would explore a new role for Roessler after he was replaced as an assisting hitting coach earlier this offseason. ...read more read less