Yankees Reportedly Would Only Trade Spencer Jones for Paul Skenes Amid MLB Rumors

The New York Yankees have almost no intention of trading outfield prospect Spencer Jones, according to the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Heyman reported Thursday that "teams with good/great pieces consistently ask the Yankees" about Jones. The Bronx Bombers have responded by saying they'd only give the 24-year-old for Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported the Miami Marlins requested him in a deal involving starting pitchers Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera.

The Yankees are showing a lot of confidence in Jones, whom Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked sixth in their farm system. He didn't crack MLB.com's list of the top 100 prospects in all of baseball, either.

The comparisons to Aaron Judge are inescapable when Jones stands 6'7" and boasts a ton of power at the plate. In 70 games across Double- and Triple-A this season, he's slugging .702 with 29 home runs.

Jones' strikeout rate is a glaring flaw, though. He was fanned 355 times between 2023 and 2024, and his total this year sits at 96 across 310 plate appearances.

As strong as he is, it's easy to picture him struggling against major league pitching whenever he's called up. That's probably a reason why the promotion hasn't happened already.

"He has tons of swing and miss," one National League executive said to ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "When you have significant contact issues in the minor leagues, that's very scary. To me, he's not a premium, premium prospect. He's an interesting player with some upside."

Between Heyman's report and Judge going on the injured list, the clamor for Jones to move up from Triple-A is nonetheless likely to hit a fever pitch.