4 Yankees Prospects Who Could Be Moved by Trade Deadline

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, here are four Yankees prospects who could be a part of a deadline deal.

New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones (78) could find himself wearing a different uniform after the trade deadline. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the MLB trade deadline less than a week away and the Yankees having significant holes, it's looking like general manager Brian Cashman is going to have to dip into the farm capital yet again to fill the holes.

Early reports suggest that the front office considers everyone except top prospect George Lombard Jr. tradeable, raising questions about their choices of whom to keep and whom to move in deals to help the club win now.

With all that being said, there are a plethora of names down on the farm that will likely come up in possible deadline deals, and here are just four names that could be moved in the next week.

Spencer Jones, OF

Spencer Jones is a Yankees prospect fans have been waiting to see his power at the big league level for many years, and it finally happened this season. Jones was the team's first-round pick in 2022 out of Vanderbilt University.

Jones crushed the minor leagues last season, launching 35 homers and posting a .933 OPS, pushing him to the doorstep of the big league roster even last season.

Jones is now on his second stint in the big leagues after the team sent him down following just 24 ABs in his first go-around. Jones struck out in half his at-bats and recorded just 4 hits and no homers.

The team clearly didn't trust him versus left-handed pitching, as he was mostly being used as a platoon bat, similar to his second go at things in the majors.

That fact alone makes him an expendable prospect piece at the upcoming deadline, as it raises questions about how much he helps the team win this season while also banging on the idea of trading him while he still has value.

Jones's name has already come up in the tabloids along with Jasson Dominguez's as someone whom the Yankees might use in deals to better their current roster.

With his early showings at the plate in the major leagues, the Yankees might look to move him now as a secondary piece in some deal with a team that will give him a lot of runway.

Dax Kilby, INF

Kilby was the Yankees' first-round draft selection in 2025 and has only 93 ABs in his young professional career. Kilby has been on the IL for almost the entire 2026 season until recently, finishing a couple of rehab games and returning to Single-A Tampa.

Kilby came out of the draft known for his bat, specifically his contact skills, and that has certainly shown up in the early going. The 19-year-old has struck out just 19 times with 16 walks while carrying a .312 average and a .843 OPS through 109 plate appearances.

Kilby is a name that will come up a lot if a major deal is at play, such as Mason Miller, especially with reports of the team's unwillingness to trade the organization's other top bat, Lombard Jr.

Kilby could easily be the organization's top prospect after Lombard Jr. graduates from the list, if he ends up surviving the deadline.

Elmer Rodriguez, RHP

New York Yankees starting pitcher Elmer Rodriguez (71) pitches during the game between the Rangers and the Yankees at Globe Life Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Rodriguez is a top-five prospect in the organization who made his major league debut on the bump earlier this season. When you see people mention MLB-ready, quality starting pitching as a request from deadline sellers, Rodriguez fits that bill well.

Rodriguez was known for his command and solid arsenal in the minors. But in his limited major league run, he displayed command issues. That led to two of his four starts featuring four or more walks.

The walks led to an obvious obstacle in preventing runs. Rodriguez also struggled to get strikeouts, only punching out 10 batters in 17 major league innings.

Despite all that, Rodriguez will still be regarded as a good prospect arm by potential suitors. In the minor leagues this season, Rodriguez is pitching to the tune of a 2.93 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP with 77 strikeouts in 76.1 innings.

Similar to Jones, the Yankees may look to move on from Rodriguez now while he is still a highly-rated prospect with a lot of upside and ready to be in someone's MLB rotation.

Ben Hess, RHP

Ben Hess is the third former Yankees first-round pick on this list, having been an early-round selection himself in 2024 out of the University of Alabama. Hess impressed in his first professional season in 2025, posting a 3.51 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP with 139 strikeouts in 103.1 innings.

Hess is a possible future front-end starter with a big fastball and solid breaking stuff to complement it.

2026 has gotten off to a different start for Hess, and it's mainly because of injuries. Hess made two starts in April but went on the IL till mid-May and has been building back up to his normal self ever since.

In 2026, Hess is posting a 1.38 WHIP with 55 punch-outs across 45.2 innings so far. It's hard to look at Hess' numbers since the injuries, and all teams understand that.

Hess is a name that many other teams will inquire about as another highly-rated arm in the organization. I could certainly see him being moved as a solid piece in a deal to a pitching-needy team, as he could be MLB-ready by sometime next season.