Yankees Offer Austin Slater One-Year Deal, Bench Picture Still Murky
The Yankees have reportedly extended a one-year, $1 million offer to veteran outfielder Austin Slater, signaling some level of interest in bringing him back to the Bronx. The offer, while modest, aligns with earlier reports that New York had checked in on Slater as a potential bench piece heading into 2026.
Slater’s time with the Yankees last season was brief and, frankly, underwhelming. Acquired after the trade deadline, he struggled to make an impact offensively and was hampered by injuries-most notably a hamstring issue in August that sidelined him until rosters expanded in September. Those setbacks ultimately kept him off the postseason roster, where he didn’t factor into the Yankees’ Wild Card win over Boston or their Division Series loss to Toronto.
Still, the Yankees appear to be kicking the tires on Slater’s potential value as a right-handed bat off the bench-though it’s more exploratory than aggressive at this point. New York has been open about its desire to add a right-handed hitter who can provide depth and situational value, and Slater, at least on paper, checks some of those boxes.
Dig a little deeper, and you can see why the Yankees might still be intrigued. While the surface-level numbers weren’t pretty, Slater’s underlying metrics tell a more optimistic story.
His expected slugging percentage (xSLG) against left-handed pitching topped .580 last season, suggesting that his actual production may have been dragged down by poor luck rather than poor contact. If those expected numbers start to show up in real-time results, Slater could quietly become a valuable fourth outfielder-especially in a platoon role.
That said, the fit isn’t exactly seamless. The Yankees already have Jasson Dominguez penciled in as their fourth outfielder, and he comes with Minor League options. Dominguez is a switch-hitter with upside and defensive versatility, while Slater is a limited defender who’s struggled to stay healthy and hasn’t hit lefties with consistency in actual results-despite what the metrics suggest.
The roster math gets even trickier when you factor in Cody Bellinger’s return. Jack Curry noted on YES Hot Stove that Bellinger’s presence doesn’t necessarily mean the Yankees are ready to move Dominguez in a trade just to clear space.
In fact, GM Brian Cashman admitted that the team briefly considered optioning Dominguez at the midway point of last season, before ultimately deciding to keep him on the roster. Slater’s injury at the time likely played a role in that decision.
Now, with a healthy offseason and a low-risk offer on the table, the Yankees are weighing whether Slater’s bat-and more importantly, his upside against lefties-can earn him a spot on a bench that’s still very much in flux.
For now, the offer is out there. Whether Slater accepts it, and whether he can carve out a meaningful role in a crowded outfield picture, remains to be seen. But one thing’s clear: the Yankees are still looking for ways to fine-tune the margins of their roster-and they believe there might be more in Slater’s bat than what we saw last fall.