Yankees would only trade Spencer Jones for this one player

New York Post

2 days ago

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Move over Livvy Dunne and make way for Spencer Jones.
The Yankees are only willing to trade their mashing prospect for Pirates ace — and arguably the industry's most desirable pitching trade asset — Paul Skenes, and would not include Jones in trade talks with the Marlins for former NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, according to The Post's Jon Heyman.
In part due to their reluctance to use Jones in talks, the Yankees did not land a starting pitcher at the deadline.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did not give a direct response after the deadline Thursday when asked if the team viewed Jones as 'untouchable.'
4 Spencer Jones during spring training.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
'Spencer has had a great year and he's honored his draft position. … He's really done an amazing job as he's closed the gap on his development to the big leagues, that is in his future,' Cashman said.
'Some players are more touchable than others. We've always been excited by his potential, and it's really a pleasure to have seen him put together the year he's having, it's pretty exciting stuff. We're looking forward to watching that journey continue.'
That the Yankees would only move on from Jones in such a scenario is a telling revelation and one that shows how highly the Yankees view the 24-year-old.
It also opens the Yankees to immense scrutiny should Jones not become a star player.
To say that the only person you would trade a prospect for is Skenes, the dominant second-year righty sporting a 1.89 career ERA, seemingly indicates you believe this player will be a perennial All-Star.
4 Paul Skenes is a certified stud.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
A team would thus be cutting themselves off from 99.9 percent of talent by holding onto said player in all but one instance.
The Yankees clearly think they have a budding superstar on their hands.
4 The Yankees didn't include Jones in talks for Sandy Alcantara.
AP
The rest of the industry, though, is not universal in that opinion.
Jones is only the Yankees' fourth-ranked prospect according to MLB.com, and not even among the sport's top-100 prospects.
Heyman also reported that the Yankees would not trade their No. 1 prospect, shortstop George Lombard Jr., for Alcantara.
The difference in opinion stems from whether teams and evaluators believe Jones can be a prolific masher despite a high strikeout rate or if his swing-and-miss tendency will doom him.
Former Yankees bust Joey Gallo provides a solid example of how that that line can be.
Gallo led the league with 213 strikeouts in 2021, but teams will take that when you hit 38 homers and 77 RBIs with an .808 OPS.
The 2022 Yankees version that hit .159 with a .621 OPS while striking out 106 times in 273 plate appearances with 12 homers and 24 RBIs is why he got sent out of town.
4 Spencer Jones is on the verge of a call-up.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Jones has fanned 96 times spanning 262 at-bats this year (36.6 percent), but his 29 homers and 1.115 OPS negate those whiffs.
He's been particularly dominant in Triple-A, hitting .402 with 13 homers and a 1.381 OPS spanning 87 at-bats in 21 games.
For his minor league career, Jones has struck out in 35.8 percent of his at-bats.
Jones remains in Triple-A for the time being, even with Aaron Judge sidelined, and these comments only magnify how the Yankees employ him in the future.
He could be an everyday fielder as soon as next year or perhaps he could be headlining a deal for Skenes, should the Pirates decide to make him available.