Spencer Jones should be untouchable despite trade deadline temptation for Yankees

Between now and the MLB trade deadline on Monday, Aug. 3, the Yankees will be looking to address their ongoing catcher issue, their bullpen and potentially the left side of the infield.

Will general manager Brian Cashman and Co. accomplish all three things on their checklist in the coming weeks? It’s not impossible, especially since the Yankees’ farm system is loaded with top talent, with guys still in the minors or who played in the big leagues that could be used in a trade.

In fact, outfielder Spencer Jones could be one of those players that the Yankees use to bolster their roster as they push for the playoffs. On Sunday, reporter Francys Romero reported that Jones and Jasson Domínguez “are two of the key pieces” that New York plans to use as "trade assets."

It doesn’t come as a shock that the Yankees are considering this, given they are stacked in the outfield with Aaron Judge (injured), Trent Grisham, and Cody Bellinger. However, between the two young outfielders, the Yankees would be better off keeping Jones around, even though he could be a key trade chip to upgrade the bullpen or catcher.

Spencer Jones should be off limits ahead of the MLB trade deadline

The 25-year-old outfielder hasn’t had much success at the MLB level this season, slashing a pedestrian .233/.317/.370 with two home runs, seven RBI, and an OPS of .687. But one could argue that his upside as a power hitter usurps what Domíngues brings to the table.

Throughout the course of his minor league career, Jones has crushed 86 home runs with a .272 average. This season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the left-handed-hitting outfielder hasn’t slowed down with the power, mashing 14 home runs and driving in 51 RBI with a .276 average and impressive .951 OPS.

If you’re the Yankees, the hope is that in due time, Jones will tap into that power consistently at the big league level and take a leap like Ben Rice has. The rookie slugger still has some holes in his game, as he owns a 30.4% strikeout rate and 31.5% chase rate in Triple-A, per Prospect Savant, which will need to be cleaned up.

Meanwhile, Domínguez hasn’t lived up to the hype that was bestowed upon him as a teenager, when he was proclaimed as “The Martian.”

The 23-year-old outfielder has 188 games of MLB experience under his belt and is only hitting .243 with 21 home runs and 69 yards. For most guys in the majors, they can put those stats up in one season.

Domínguez has had some bad luck with injuries throughout his career, which has continued into this season. He only played in 39 games with the Yankees in 2026, posting five home runs and 11 RBI with a .229 batting average.

Even though Domínguez is still fairly young in his career, the Yankees might feel as if they’ve seen it all with him and could be of value to another team. While his bat has been disappointing, the young outfielder has the experience to play all three outfield positions.

With all that being said, if I were in Cashman’s shoes, I would stick with Jones, even though he’s a couple of years older, to see what he could do with a longer runway. New York could still look to trade the young power hitter in the offseason if things don’t work out.

However, his power plays well in a park like Yankee Stadium, and with the injuries surrounding Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees should want to keep Jones around.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/yankees/onsi as Spencer Jones Should Be Untouchable Despite Trade Deadline Temptation for Yankees .