The New York Yankees have been one of the top teams in baseball this season, positioned near the top of the American League as strong World Series contenders. However, recent struggles have reportedly led to a shift in the Yankees front office’s strategy for the MLB trade deadline.
A few weeks ago, New York was leading the MLB standings with Gerrit Cole and DJ LeMahieu nearing their return. Since their series against the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees have become one of the most inconsistent teams in baseball. When they were performing at their best, their primary needs for the trade deadline were relief pitching and a corner infielder. These remain areas of interest, but the team is also reconsidering its approach to starting pitching.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees are now willing to include their top prospect, Spencer Jones, in a trade with the Chicago White Sox or Detroit Tigers for All-Star pitchers Garrett Crochet or Tarik Skubal.
This is notable because recent trade rumors suggested the Yankees were not particularly interested in Crochet. Despite his Cy Young-level performance this season, the 25-year-old has already exceeded his previous career-high for innings pitched and might need to be moved to the bullpen in September.
Jones, 23, has struggled this season, hitting .238/.316/.403 with a 37.1 percent strikeout rate. However, he has 18 steals and 10 home runs in 75 games.
The Yankees’ sudden willingness to include Jones in trade talks reflects both the front office’s desperation to win a World Series this year and possibly a shift in their evaluation of Jones. Nonetheless, the White Sox reportedly want a stronger package of top prospects than just Jones. New York is also facing significant competition from teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers.
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