The Only Reason Yankees Should Consider Trading Spencer Jones

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Yankees are right to be extremely cautious about trading multi-talented center fielder Spencer Jones.

As the deadline approaches, Jones remains the key player other teams are looking for in a trade. However, the Yankees should keep Jones unless they can somehow land a specific All-Star — and it’s very likely that All-Star stays where he is.

In what would be a major coup at the deadline, if the Yankees can get Cy Young frontrunner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers for a package that includes Jones, go for it.

But if any of the other three standout All-Star pitchers – White Sox starter Garrett Crochet, A’s reliever Mason Miller or Marlins reliever Tanner Scott – are good as they are, the Yankees should probably pass.

The Yankees refused to part with Jones last spring for White Sox star pitcher Dylan Cease, and even Juan Soto, who ended up making a nice move. So that gives you an idea of ​​what they think of him.

The Yankees are focusing more on their bullpen, and that’s no surprise. But if they can get Skubal, no prospect should be untouchable. He’s that good.

But while there have been trade rumors surrounding the left-handed Skubal (who leads MLB starters with a 4.5 WAR and 2.41 ERA), there seems little chance the surging Tigers will part ways with him two or more years before free agency. “No way,” one person involved guesses. (Of course, stranger things have happened at the trade deadline.)

For his part, Skubal has suggested that he would have no objection to staying.

“I try not to think about it too much,” Skubal said of a possible trade. “I love playing for the Tigers.”

Meanwhile, power pitcher Crochet, who has been linked to the Dodgers, Padres and Orioles, as well as the Yankees, has a good chance of being traded, 103.7 mph pitcher Miller, who has five years of control left, has a small chance of being traded (better chance than Skubal), and Scott is almost gone. They’re all great, but they’re not Skubal.

Crochet is incredible in his own way. His previous record in innings pitched was 54 ¹/₃ and he’s on pace to hit about 200 now (when I mentioned that to him, he corrected me, pointing out that the jump is even bigger since he pitched only 12 ²/₃ innings last year). And yet Crochet, who leads MLB with 150 strikeouts, said, “Who’s to say we should limit innings?”

Miller is probably the most dominant closer, he won’t be a free agent until 2029 and would allow the Yankees to move All-Star closer Clay Holmes to a setup role. The same goes for Scott, a rental who is likely to leave. However, it’s not wise to trade a big prospect for a reliever, even a great one.

The most obvious reason why Jones, 23, needs to stay alive is his extraordinary talent. Yes, the 37.1 percent strikeout rate is concerning, but remember that the great Aaron Judge had a 44 percent strikeout rate in his first (partial) year in the majors before becoming the game’s best position player.

Jones has exceptional power (though no one can match Judge in that area) and is among the fastest players in baseball, so his skill set is enviable.

That’s the main reason Jones is staying on the team, of course. But the other reason is that star right fielder Juan Soto and starting left fielder Alex Verdugo are free agents, and there’s no guarantee free agents will return, no matter how much they enjoy playing in pinstripes.