The New York Yankees have been among the top teams in baseball this season, positioning themselves as strong contenders for the World Series. However, recent struggles have led the Yankees’ front office to rethink their strategy for the MLB trade deadline.
Just weeks ago, the Yankees were leading the MLB standings, with stars Gerrit Cole and DJ LeMahieu nearing their returns. Since their series against the Boston Red Sox, the team has been highly inconsistent.
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Earlier in the season, the Yankees’ main trade deadline priorities were relief pitching and a corner infielder. While these needs remain, the team now seems open to acquiring starting pitching as well.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Yankees are now willing to trade their top prospect, Spencer Jones, to the Chicago White Sox or Detroit Tigers in exchange for All-Star pitchers Garrett Crochet or Tarik Skubal.
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This shift is significant because recent MLB trade rumors indicated that the Yankees weren’t particularly interested in Crochet. Despite his Cy Young-level performance this season, the 25-year-old has already surpassed his previous career-high in innings pitched and may need to move to the bullpen in September.
Jones, 23, has struggled this season. The 6-foot-6 outfielder had a .238/.316/.403 slash line with a 37.1% strikeout rate by late July. However, he has 18 steals and 10 home runs in 75 games.
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The Yankees’ willingness to include Jones in trade talks reflects their desperation to win a World Series this year and possibly their changing view of Jones. However, the White Sox reportedly want a stronger package of the Yankees’ top prospects, not just Jones. Currently, the Yankees face stiff competition from teams like the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers.
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