Spencer Jones all but eliminated himself from Yankees' trade deadline talks Thursday

Should New York Yankees top prospect Spencer Jones be untouchable in trade talks? Sorry to all my prospect huggers, but no. He could be a valuable commodity this offseason, with an all-time summer fresh in the minds of all bidders (despite lingering strikeout worries that everyone and their mother is aware of, provided their mother reads FanGraphs).

But should the Yankees trade Jones at this particular deadline, with this particular talent pool available on the market, with this particular Yankees roster? Absolutely not, and Thursday's remarkable showcase should've removed all doubt.

Jones, sporting a new approach at the plate and the same old exceptional tools, saw his pregame batting line that included a .387 average at Triple-A and 26 bombs on the season, and thought, "Yeah, I can make this more insane."

Three home runs in three at-bats to start Thursday's game should've put this summer's debate to rest. Every other organization in MLB knows about Jones' warts. This growing sample size won't erase that. So why sacrifice an ascending asset for an unimpressive return? Keep this man until the winter. At all costs.

Yankees prospect Spencer Jones destroys three home runs on Thursday, raises trade value beyond the current market

Now, am I here to tell you that all of Jones' problems are solved, and he's firmly cemented as a left-handed Judge? Certainly not; every Yankees prospect has additional issues when they cross the MLB threshold. Jones' development does not stop here. He'll still whiff. He'll need to adapt.

But it's completely foolish to pretend like the Jones we're seeing now is the same guy we saw prior to the 2025 season. He's made tangible changes to his stance and approach. He's put a level of offensive ability on display that we never believed could possibly be inside. Weren't we all waiting for the Yankees to "unlock" something within him since Draft Night 2022? Now that they have done exactly that, why would they trade him for Merrill Kelly?

If Steven Kwan is available, he could genuinely change the dynamic of this Yankees offense and defense for the next 2.5 seasons; that has to be under consideration. He's a known quantity. If the Twins get antsy with Joe Ryan for absolutely no reason, the Yankees should consider one-upping the Red Sox with Jones and splurging.

But, beyond those two pieces, there's no reason to sell, even if the peak is so unfathomable that it seems unsustainable. What if someone had made the same snap judgment with a rookie-year Judge, after his putrid and whiff-filled 2016 output? Jones has tripped into the rare upper echelon where the performance is so impressive it'd be wiser to wait and see this play out, even if it never quite gets this good again. The only thing harder than his exit velocity is the velocity at which you'd kick yourself if the Yankees traded an elite outfielder for two months of Eugenio Suarez or a closer.