Yankees Reportedly Wouldn't Trade Spencer Jones or Lombard Jr. for Sandy Alcantara

Despite pursuing 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara prior to Thursday's trade deadline, the New York Yankees weren't willing to part with their star prospects to facilitate a deal with the Miami Marlins.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network, the Yankees declined Miami's request for either Spencer Jones or George Lombard Jr. in a deal for Alcántara.

Heyman noted that a deal for Alcántara was not "especially close," with the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox cited as the two teams that made the most aggressive push.

MLB.com has Lombard ranked as the Yankees' top prospect (No. 29 overall). Jones is at No. 4 on the team's list, but wasn't included in the updated top 100 released on July 1.

Jones' profile has risen dramatically over the past seven weeks with 19 homers in his last 34 games. The No. 25 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft is hitting .412/.478/.890 in his last 34 games, earning a promotion to Triple-A on June 27.

Things have been going so well for Jones of late that Heyman said on Thursday the Yankees would only consider trading him for Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

Lombard, a first-round pick in the 2023 draft, is hitting .239/.372/.379 in 92 games across two levels this season. Even though his slash line doesn't immediately stand out, he's a 20-year-old shortstop in Double-A.

Alcántara's value was incredibly difficult to decipher based on his performance so far this season. He has a 6.36 ERA in 109 innings after missing all of 2024 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

The recent results for Alcántara have been semi-encouraging. He has a 4.50 ERA (3.68 FIP) in 10 starts since June 3, but parting with a top-tier prospect for a pitcher who might be your third- or fourth-best starter the rest of this season is a steep price to pay.

Miami was also looking to capitalize on Alcántara being under contract through next season with a $17.3 million salary, plus a $21 million team option for 2027. If he gets back on track, that deal looks like a bargain compared to what a frontline starting pitcher usually gets paid.

If Alcántara stays at the level he has been for most of this season, he wouldn't be starting a playoff game for most contenders.

The Yankees can always revisit a trade for Alcántara in the offseason if they want to pursue him, but their desire to keep Lombard and Jones is understandable given how promising both players look at this point in their development.