Two names that used to require a Brinks truck and a written apology just to discuss are now on the table. According to a report from Francys Romero, the New York Yankees are willing to use outfield prospects Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez as key trade assets ahead of the July 31 MLB Trade Deadline. Romero’s report does not link either player to a specific target, and no deal is said to be close. But the signal alone — that the Yankees will listen on two of their most coveted young bats — tells you the front office knows what time it is.
It’s late July and the roster is bleeding pitching. Gerrit Cole never threw a pitch this season — Tommy John surgery took care of that before Opening Day. Clarke Schmidt joined him on the surgeon’s table earlier this month. Luis Gil, last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, is still working back from a lat strain on a minor-league rehab assignment. Ryan Yarbrough hasn’t pitched in nearly a month because of an oblique strain. That leaves Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, and a pair of rookies — Will Warren and Cam Schlittler — holding the line. You don’t need a spreadsheet to know that rotation needs help. The film doesn’t lie.
What the Yankees do have is prospect capital. Jones, a 6-foot-6 left-handed hitter, has the kind of frame and power that makes a scouting director forget about everything else. The production this season hasn’t been clean — .233/.317/.370 with two home runs and 34 strikeouts in 82 plate appearances across 30 games — but the tools are still the tools. A rebuilding club doesn’t trade for what a guy is hitting in July. It trades for the ceiling, and Jones offers a chance at a long-term everyday outfielder, not a lottery ticket.
Dominguez is the more complicated call. The 22-year-old has already reached the majors and shown flashes of the player the Yankees once projected as a franchise cornerstone — .231/.267/.399 with five homers and 11 RBIs in 39 games this year, but also 31 strikeouts against just six walks in 151 plate appearances. The nickname “The Martian” still carries weight in the Bronx. Whether the production catches up to the mythology is the question every interested GM has to answer for himself.
The Yankees’ needs are no secret. GM Brian Cashman has said publicly that pitching is his top priority, and the club has shown interest in Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller, per Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Keller, 29, owns a 3.48 ERA through 20 starts with 14 quality starts and is signed through 2028 — the kind of arm that costs you real talent, not spare parts. He’s owed roughly $60 million over the next three-plus seasons, and the Yankees’ luxury-tax status would push the effective price even higher. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, ranks dead last in the majors in runs, home runs, and slugging — a club desperate for young hitters, which is exactly what Jones and Dominguez are.
Being available is not the same as being expendable. The Yankees shouldn’t move either outfielder for a middle reliever or a two-month rental. But if a controllable starter or a difference-making catcher materializes, both names belong in the conversation. The Yankees spent years building a farm system for exactly this moment. Now they have to decide how much of it they’re willing to spend.
Sources:
- Empire Sports Media — Yankees may be willing to trade Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez
- MLB Trade Rumors — Yankees Trade Rumors (Mitch Keller interest, rotation injuries)