In a perfect world, the Yankees wouldn’t have to trade their top prospects for proven commodities at the MLB level. At the trade deadline on July 30, General Manager Brian Cashman is expected to aggressively reinforce the roster and assure the fans that they still have World Series aspirations.
The Yankees Need More at the Trade Deadline
As Soto mentioned after Monday’s dominant 9-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, it takes more than two players to win the World Series, and the Yankees have been struggling lately due to inefficiency across the board. Aside from Soto and Aaron Judge, the entire offense has been volatile.
The Cost of Acquiring Top Talent
However, if the Yankees really want a top-end player at the deadline, they must be willing to trade one of their top prospects, and that could inevitably be Spencer Jones.
Jones has the upside of being one of the best prospects in baseball, but he has struggled this year with his strikeout and overall plate discipline.
With Double-A Somerset, he’s hitting .238/.315/.401, including 10 homers and 47 RBIs with 18 stolen bases. His 37.3% strikeout rate is certainly concerning, and his 103 wRC+ indicates he’s been about an average Double-A hitter.
With that being said, if he starts to put things together and make better swing decisions, the upside could truly be astronomical. However, trading that potential for an impact player now could be a good move. The Bombers have previously been linked to pitchers like Garrett Crochet, a 25-year-old with two more years left of control after the 2024 season. Crochet boasts a 3.02 ERA this season, pitching a career-high 107.1 innings.
Trading Prospects for Immediate Gains
According to Bob Nightingale of USA Today, “for the first time,” the Yankees are willing to part ways with Jones in a trade that would include Crochet or Tigers Ace Tarik Skubal. Skubal seems like an afterthought for the Yankees since the Baltimore Orioles have a much better farm system and can part ways with several top-end hitting prospects if necessary.
Some may argue that trading Jones for a player like Isaac Paredes is also a decent move. Paredes, aged 25 with three more years of control, is hitting .252/.353/.449 this season, including 16 homers and 51 RBIs. Paredes would be an immediate impact player at the lead-off spot ahead of Soto and Judge, reinforcing the top half of the order. In addition, he’s a quality defender at third base, providing more balanced value.
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Future Considerations and Team Dynamics
At the end of the day, if the Yankees want to get significantly better, Jones is going to have to be expendable. The outfield next year will likely be composed of Soto, Judge, and Jasson Dominguez, so Jones will be fighting from the outside anyway, making the idea of moving him a bit more justifiable. This also assumes the Yankees extend Soto on a monster contract.