Interested Spencer Jones Trade Suitor Matches Up With Yankees Well

The New York Yankees may be able to ship Spencer Jones and land a position of need and there's one team that loves him.

New York Yankees left fielder Spencer Jones (78) runs back to the dugout during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The status of Spencer Jones has been up in the air since the New York Yankees drafted him. While he is a young, controllable player with explosive power, his strikeout rate is a red flag. Jones had a 35.4% strikeout rate in the minors this year and a 38.8% in the big leagues. The whiffs have always been a crutch in his game.

With the Yankees looking to contend right now, they may not be able to sit around and wait for Jones to develop, so trading him for a position of need could be the way to go for their former draft pick. There is one team that has been itching to trade for Jones, and that's the Los Angeles Angels, who are clearly in sell mode.

According to Jeff Fletcher from the Orange County Register, Jones has been on the Angels' radar for some time now.

"The Angels tried to get Jones at the deadline last year, but he was unavailable. Now that he's had another year of failing to live up to the hype, he's certainly much more attainable," Fletcher writes. "There is a belief in the industry that Jones could still blossom if given a better opportunity than he's had in New York."

New York Yankees left fielder Spencer Jones (78) celebrates after hitting a single against the Chicago White Sox during the sixth inning at Rate Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Yankees need to capitalize on the roster they have now

Right now the Yankees are up against it. The clock is ticking on their championship window, and dealing Jones may be a necessity.

Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole aren't getting any younger. There may not be a season next year because of a lockout, and on top of that, Brian Cashman has been vocal in recent years about his time within the organization winding down. Losing Jones could hurt in the future, but, if the trade-off is that they land a piece that helps them win a World Series now, it could be a more palatable loss.

Jones for Zach Neto straight up isn't something that the Angels would do, but the lefty slugger could be a significant part of that deal. The Yankees would likely have to deal from one of their top pitching prospects as well.

Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez, Ben Hess, and Henry Lalane, or even a controllable big league starter such as Will Warren or Ryan Weathers, could be other names added to a Neto deal. One of this surplus of arms, plus Jones, and potentially other smaller pieces, could get the deal done if the Angels do love the former Vanderbilt slugger that much.

Trading Jones is just a matter of what the Yankees value at this point. While the payoff could be more down the line if he blossoms, there's also immediate benefits the club can put to use with him no longer keeping the team in limbo.

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