Yankees' Top Prospects Thought to be Available in Trades, per Report

New York is "all-in" at the deadline, reports ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Sep 8, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Jasson Dominguez (89) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a home run in the third inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have enjoyed a roller coaster of a season, getting off to a scalding start despite missing pitcher Gerrit Cole for the opening months of the season before falling off a cliff in the games leading up to the All-Star break. After starting 50-22, the men in pinstripes are now sitting at 60-44—1.5 games back of the division-leading Baltimore Orioles.

The inconsistent play of late has certainly been concerning, but the Yankees flashed enough elite play to start the year that it's reasonable to expect them to be in contention throughout the second half of the season. Thus it comes as no surprise that inside reporting leading up to the July 30 trade deadline says the Yankees are "all-in" on acquiring talent to help this year—And nobody below the big league level is off-limits.

In a loaded trade deadline article published on Tuesday, top MLB insider Jeff Passan reported for ESPN that New York's top prospects are not "entirely off the table" in trade talks. Specifically Passan named center fielder Jasson Domínguez and outfielder Spencer Jones as possible trade chips, although he acknowledges that a worthwhile deal emerging are "slim."

"Perhaps most telling about the Yankees isn't the players they're targeting but the ones they're willing to move," Passan wrote. "Chasing a 50-22 start with a 10-20 stretch will put a scare into any organization, but it's especially acute for one with annual championship aspirations and 14 consecutive ringless seasons.

"That's why outfielders Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones -- the former recovering from an oblique strain, the latter New York's top prospect -- aren't entirely off the table. The chances of such a deal are slim, yes, but general manager Brian Cashman is sharp enough to recognize that limiting anything during a freefall is counterproductive."

Dominguez is ranked by MLB as the top prospect in New York's system and was named the 25th overall prospect in baseball heading into 2024. Jones is right behind him as the No. 2 prospect for the pinstripes and ranked No. 73 on MLB's Top 100 list.

Passan goes on to report the Yankees in particular are interested in late-inning relievers, versatile infielders, productive bats, and a high-end starting pitcher should the opportunity materialize. In other words, New York would like to add good players of almost any variety to the roster and there is no price too high if the right talent is available.

It seems the Yankees believe this year is an opportunity—one they do not want to waste. Center fielder and designated hitter Aaron Judge and right fielder Juan Soto make for arguably the most dangerous one-two punch in baseball at the plate, as expected when New York traded for the latter last offseason. Things have been... inconsistent, shall we say, across the roster otherwise.

But despite some truly disastrous losses heading into the break and overall bad vibes, the Yankees are very much in contention for the division and can position themselves for a deep playoff run. A big add at the deadline would give them a much larger margin for error, though—and that could be worth a Dominguez or Jones, no matter how exciting those two young players are.