The New York Yankees managed to make one big addition at the MLB trade deadline, acquiring All-Star hitter Jazz Chisholm Jr. It came without any of the Yankees top prospects having to be moved, but there might be a reason behind that.
New York made it pretty clear to teams ahead of the MLB trade deadline that it didn’t want to trade outfielder Jasson Dominguez. Likewise, outfield prospect Spencer Jones was considered to be off the table outside of deals for a perennial All-Star with multiple seasons of contract control.
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Among the players New York had been connected to in MLB trade rumors, such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Garrett Crochet, a variety of circumstances prevented a deal from happening. The Toronto Blue Jays decided to keep Guerrero Jr. and Crochet’s contract demands tanked his trade value.
Another factor that might’ve influenced trade talks is the perception of one of the Yankees top prospects. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Jones has recently drawn some comparisons to Joey Gallo.
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- Spencer Jones stats (FanGraphs): .239/.326/.411, 12 home runs, 21 stolen bases, 54 RBIm .737 OPS, 10.9% walk rate, 37.2% strikeout rate in 393 plate appearances
Widely viewed as one of the Yankees top prospects entering 2024, Jones’ evaluation has taken a hit this season. He’s spent the entire year at the Double-A level, posting one of the highest strikeout rates in the minor leagues among everyday players.
Gallo got off to an electric start early in his MLB career with the Texas Rangers. From 2017-2021, he posted a .834 OPS with 161 home runs and a .497 SLG across 1,881 at-bats. However, he always had one of the highest strikeout rates in MLB and never posted a batting average over .200 following the 2019 season.
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Jones being compared to Gallo is especially concerning for the Yankees considering the former All-Star outfielder slashed .159/.291/.368 across 421 at-bats during his Yankees career. If Jones lives up to the MLB comparison, it might be in the Yankees’ best interest to trade him this offseason.