Jon Heyman cautions Yankees against trading surprising prospect ahead of deadline

Add MLB insider Jon Heyman to the list of people trepidatious about the Yankees going too far at this week's trade deadline to help a team in distress. After weeks of "all in" comments from Brian Cashman and hard shoulder nudges from those in the know, most analysts decided to walk their early aggression back this weekend.

Is this a championship Yankees team, even in a weak American League? It sure doesn't seem like it. Given the market constraints and rising prices, it now seems most experts think they'll acquire enough pitching to survive, but won't deal any of their top chips to do so (after acquiring Ryan McMahon and Amed Rosario for moderate prices). In fact, if they slump further, they might even be inclined to sell relievers on expiring contracts, like Luke Weaver and (gulp) Devin Williams. If they do so, they likely will not win a game for the rest of the season (only a slight exaggeration).

Heyman preached his own version of caution after the Yankees' stirring 4-3 win over the Phillies, in which their sputtering bullpen was legitimately perfect — for one afternoon only. While that can't possibly convince Cashman and Co. the ship has been righted (though we can't put anything past him...), it should've made it plain just how difficult it is for them to obtain even just one solitary win. An entire house of cards must be balanced perfectly for the game's final hour. No wiggle room. Tough to believe in.

That reality has made Heyman a bit more judicious when labeling untouchables. "They certainly aren’t dealing their nearly untouchable prospects — George Lombard Jr. or Spencer Jones — for a reliever," Heyman wrote. "But they also better keep emerging, hard-throwing right-hander Cam Schlittler and coveted catcher Rafael Flores."

Yankees must hold onto catcher Rafael Flores at MLB trade deadline, per Jon Heyman

Sunday's column wasn't the first time Heyman hyped up Flores in recent days, either, tweeting on July 24, "One Yankee prospect coveted by trade partners: Catcher Rafael Flores, who was just called up to Triple-A."

Teams across the league know they can strike gold when asking the Yankees about their catching depth these days. Carlos Narvaez was a borderline All-Star this year, and has become a leader in Boston already. Agustin Ramirez, who brought the Yankees Jazz Chisholm Jr. last summer, is starring in Miami. Backup JC Escarra might find himself on the block this year as the Yankees seek to find a catcher who is not a lefty.

The Yankees' Austin Wells/Ben Rice tandem is in a solid, if unspectacular, spot, which makes it all the more intriguing that Heyman believes Flores, with his 16 bombs and .830 OPS, is someone the team must keep. Maybe he just thinks they'd be better off trading him during the offseason instead to help a 2026 Yankees team we don't already know is befuddling and mediocre.