Why Yankees Kept Top Prospect at Deadline

The New York Yankees made a litany of moves at the trade deadline, shoring up their infield and bullpen and landing an outfielder to fill in while Aaron Judge is on the injured list. Despite all that action, they still managed to preserve their future by avoiding one move in particular.

The Yankees' top outfield prospect, Spencer Jones, has electric this season, and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman disclosed early on that Jones would only be on the table for Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes. NL Cy Young favorite Skenes was not on the table, and Cashman kept his word: Jones stays.

Following yesterday's deadline, Cashman was asked about the team's choice to keep Jones, and he gave a somewhat coy answer.

"Some guys are more touchable than others," Cashman said, per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News.

Jones' untouchability makes sense; the kid is nuts. Since being promoted to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes Barre in late June, the 6-foot-7 24-year-old is batting .402/.461/.920 and has logged 13 home runs. He has been compared to Judge for his size and talent, and the Yankees are waiting for the perfect time to call him up. A trade for Skenes would have set them up similarly, with a young guy who can help lead the team into the future, but the chips fell this way.

In the end, the Yankees failed to accomplish just one of their many goals at the deadline — landing a new starting pitcher. They were reportedly in talks to acquire Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara, but the Marlins wanted Jones, and the Yankees weren't going to budge.

As the trade deadline came and went, the Marlins announced that they would be holding onto Alcantara after all, which speaks to the value they must have seen in Jones.

“We try to improve every aspect of the club, and this is what we have to show for these efforts,” Cashman told reporters after an otherwise very successful deadline. “We certainly knocked on many doors regarding potential starting pitching, but, obviously, we weren’t able to match up in that category.”

The Yankees will showcase some of their newest additions in their first game against the Miami Marlins next.

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