Feb 22, 2025; Dunedin, Florida, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones (78) hits a home run during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Will Yankees Use Red-Hot Prospect As Trade Bait?

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Michael Rosenstein | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 8:00 AM ET

How much is too much? That's what New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has to decide ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline.

He's shopping for a power-hitting third baseman, a starting pitcher and help for the bullpen. And to get something, you have to be willing to part with something.

To that end, Cashman is sitting on a big trade chip down on the farm: outfielder Spencer Jones.

The 24-year-old started this season with the Double-A Somerset Patriots. After slugging 16 home runs in 49 games, the Yankees promoted Jones to Triple-A, where he is absolutely raking.

In 16 games with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, Jones has 10 home runs. He's hitting an absurd .426 during that stretch with an OPS of 1.422.

With production like this, it seems like one of two things will happen. Either Cashman flips Jones before the trade deadline or the prospect earns himself an invite to the Bronx.

The Yankees selected Jones in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. MLB Pipeline lists him as the Yankees No. 2 prospect behind middle infielder George Lombard Jr.

"With his bat speed and the strength and leverage in his 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame, Jones creates well-above-average power and upper-end exit velocities," according to MLB Pipeline's scouting report. "But his naturally long left-handed swing makes him late on a lot of pitches and resulted in a 40 percent swing-and-miss rate in 2024, including even more alarming empty contact rates on all fastballs (36 percent) and in-zone heaters (33 percent). The Yankees are working with him on adjustments that would keep his bat on a more level plane and in the zone longer."

According to MLB Pipeline, Jones projects as a center fielder, noting he "displays average range and arm strength there. He has a better chance of staying in center than fellow tooled-up Yankees outfielder prospect Jasson Domínguez."

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