Yankees are refusing to trade star outfield prospect even for elite pitching

The New York Yankees were recently in the race for former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes but failed to land the elite pitcher as he wound up joining the Baltimore Orioles. It was initially shocking to see the Yankees walk away from a deal that would land them Burnes, but it has since been revealed why New York decided not to go through with the acquisition.

According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Yankees refused to include Spencer Jones in their package for Burnes, ultimately causing the deal to fall through.

The Yankees refused to include Spencer Jones in trade package for Corbin Burnes

Burnes is a game-changing pitcher who would have transformed the Yankees’ lineup, but Jones is the team’s No. 1 overall prospect and a player they covet for the future. The Yankees refused to part ways with their top prospect in discussions with the Milwaukee Brewers for Burnes.

“My understanding is that Milwaukee, like the White Sox, wanted Spencer Jones,” Heyman reported.

Jones is a star outfield prospect who hit 16 home runs and 66 RBIs at the High Single-A and Double-A levels in his first full season of professional baseball. Although the Yankees would have gotten elite pitching in return for Jones, his future potential is too great to ship off this early in his career.

Burnes instead heads to Baltimore. He would have been a blockbuster acquisition for the Pinstripes, having posted a league-best 1.069 WHIP in 2023 with 200 strikeouts in 193.2 innings pitched. Instead, New York opted to keep their top prospect in Jones. The 22-year-old outfielder is expected to play a major role in the Yankees’ plans for the future.