New York Yankees Triple-A outfielder Spencer Jones is one of the hottest names in the prospect world these days.
Jones, the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2022 out of Vanderbilt, has had his ups and downs as a prospect. He led the minor leagues in strikeouts last season and spent more than a full year at Double-A. But this year, the good has vastly outweighed the bad.
With 29 home runs, including 13 in only 21 games since his promotion to Triple-A, Jones has re-established his future value. The question, though, has been whether that future still lies in the Bronx.
With the Yankees looking to make moves on the final day of trades in Major League Baseball, one report shows just how unlikely it is that Jones gets moved.
On Thursday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Yankees would only consider trading Jones if Pittsburgh Pirates superstar pitcher Paul Skenes, who is highly unlikely to be dealt, is coming back in the deal.
“Teams with good/great pieces consistently ask the Yankees about top OF prospect Spencer Jones,” wrote Heyman. “The Yankees are consistent on this too: They will only trade Jones (and others in package) for Paul Skenes, who’s not available and not going anywhere.”
It’s oddly specific to demand Skenes, but it sounds as though the Pirates are the ones most frequently asking about Jones, as they’ve got other arms New York would probably like to acquire in starter Mitch Keller and reliever David Bednar.
The 24-year-old Jones is currently ranked fourth in the Yankees’ farm system by MLB Pipeline, and the site does not have the 6-foot-7 lefty in their overall Top 100.
The Yankees might have to give up Jones andtheir top three prospects ahead of him to get Skenes, but the main takeaway here is that the likelihood Jones makes his major league debut in Yankee pinstripes is very high at this point.
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