Yankees May Risk Wasting Judge’s Prime by Holding Top Prospects

Plenty of teams are calling. But the Yankees aren’t picking up the phone just to say yes.

According to YES Network insider Jack Curry, rival clubs have shown serious interest in some of New York’s top young players, including George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, and Cam Schlittler. And while the Yankees are actively shopping for upgrades at the trade deadline, they aren’t looking to do it by gutting the future.

“A lot of calls are being made about the likes of a George Lombard Jr., which the Yankees are not going to deal,” Curry said on YES. “Spencer Jones and Cam Schlittler are also players that have been inquired about, and I think the Yankees would have to be overwhelmed to trade those two.”

This tracks with everything the Yankees have signaled in recent weeks. 

Lombard Jr. has become untouchable, seen internally as a long-term infield cornerstone. Jones, the former first-round pick, has surged at Triple-A. Schlittler has made just two big-league starts, but he’s shown a lot of upside in those starts. 

Still, there’s risk in holding on too tightly to prospects. 

Aaron Judge is 33 years old. 

He’s having another MVP-caliber season, but he hasn’t won a World Series. The window isn’t going to open any wider than it is right now.

The Yankees can’t afford to waste any more chances and right now, they are not good enough. They have a rotation that is holding up, but injury concerns and workload concerns hang over every start now. They don’t have a major league third baseman. The bullpen is starting to show it’s cracks from heavy usage. 

Maybe that is too many weaknesses for Yankees GM Brian Cashman to see this team as an actual contender. If so, then he needs to start thinking about the future and how these player factor in. 

But there’s a line between smart planning and standing still. And if the right deal comes along, even one that stings, the Yankees may need to think bigger than next spring.

Because October is coming, and the time to win with Judge is right now.