Yankees Trade Pitch Would Move Former Untouchable Prospect

Getty Spencer Jones running

The New York Yankees have assets in their farm system to improve their roster in an offseason trade. Headline by Spencer Jones and others, the Yankees will face tough decisions on who they should trade.

Regarding Jones, he had a tough showing during the 2024 minor league season, setting the Yankees MiLB record for strikeouts in a campaign.

While his value might be lower due to his performance, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report named him the “most likely” player on the Yankees to be traded.

“The Yankees reportedly had chances to involve Spencer Jones in trades for Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease, but didn’t take either one… Jones didn’t raise his stock by whiffing in 37 percent of his plate appearances for Double-A Somerset this season. All the same, 6’6″, 235-pound outfielders with obvious power are always good for a few looks when they’re on the trading block,” Rymer wrote on October 18.

Regarding why the Yankees might not move Jones, Rymer highlighted the pending free agencies the Yankees will face.

Yankees Made Him Untouchable During 2023-24 Offseason

Less than a year ago, the New York Yankees didn’t want to include Jones in trades for Corbin Burnes, Dylan Cease, or anyone else.

When Gerrit Cole went down with an elbow injury in the early stages of spring training, the Yankees still didn’t bite, holding onto the coveted prospect.

According to Jorge Castillo of ESPN, the Yankees front office was “convinced” that Jones would be an elite talent and deemed him “untouchable.”

“That feeling permeates the organization, from the clubhouse to the owner’s suite. The 6-foot-6 Jones is an unusual blend of power, size and speed the team envisions clubbing home runs over the short porch at Yankee Stadium and stealing bases deep into October,” Castillo wrote in March. “The Yankees firmly believe the 22-year-old is a future star. It’s why he is still in the organization.

“The Yankees could have made Jones the centerpiece in a major trade in recent months — even just this week — to improve a roster in win-now mode for the 2024 season. But team brass is so convinced of Jones’ talents that he has been deemed virtually untouchable.”

Why the Yankees Should Trade Him

Prospect hugging is tough to do in Major League Baseball. Until young players like Jones show they can play at the big league level, prospects will have questions about their game.

Jones, despite struggling in 2024, could still be an excellent player. He’s struck out at an alarming rate but has a career .800 OPS in MiLB.

Still, for a New York Yankees team whose biggest focus is winning a World Series every season, they can’t waste an opportunity to improve their MLB team. If Jones could be the headliner in a trade for a player who would help the team, it’s something they could consider.