MLB Mock Trade: Reds Send Ace Hunter Greene to Yankees for Package Including Top Prospect
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When a frontline starter with triple-digit velocity and prime-age upside becomes available, every contender picks up the phone, and that’s exactly why a mock trade sending Hunter Greene to the New York Yankees is so intriguing. Greene isn’t just a hard thrower; he’s a true swing-and-miss weapon capable of dominating postseason lineups.
With elite strikeout rates, improving command, and the durability to handle a full starter’s workload, he profiles as the type of arm who can anchor a rotation and tilt a playoff series.
For a franchise with championship expectations every season, adding a controllable ace in his prime would solidify the top of the rotation and lengthen the pitching staff for October.
Let’s take a look at what it would take for the New York Yankees to acquire him.
New York Yankees - Cincinnati Reds MLB Mock Trade Details & Fantasy Baseball Impact
Yankees Acquire:
Hunter Greene (RHP)
Reds Acquire:
Spencer Jones (OF)
George Lombard Jr. (SS)
Will Warren (RHP)
Jake Bird (RHP)
Hunter Greene posted a strong 2025 season for the Cincinnati Reds, emerging as one of the game’s high-impact arms with roughly a 3.01 ERA, 17 wins, 23 strikeouts, and 260 innings pitched (stats aggregated leaders list), including elite strikeout ability and workload despite some injury interruptions during the year. His combination of elite velocity and strikeout upside made him a top fantasy SP1 and one of the most valuable starting pitchers in the sport in 2025.
Spencer Jones, a top Yankees outfield prospect, dominated the 2025 minors with a .284/.379/.610 combined slash, 31 home runs, 66 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A, showing legitimate power-speed skills while still battling a higher strikeout rate. That performance cemented him as one of the most intriguing offensive talents in the Yankees’ farm system and gave him strong dynasty league appeal entering 2026.
Will Warren made his first full MLB impact in 2025 as a rotation member for the Yankees, pitching 162.1 innings with a 9-8 record, a 4.44 ERA, 171 strikeouts, and a 1.37 WHIP — solid mid-rotation production with room for growth. His ability to eat innings and accumulate strikeouts gave him fantasy utility as a borderline SP3/SP4, especially in deeper formats.
George Lombard Jr. was one of the Yankees’ top prospects in 2025, playing across High-A and Double-A with a profile of batting around .235 with nine home runs, 49 RBIs, and 35 stolen bases, showcasing a blend of contact, on-base skills, and speed that ranks him as premium dynasty upside with potential to impact counting stat categories once he reaches the majors.
Jake Bird, acquired mid-2025 by the Yankees before this hypothetical trade, posted a 4-2 record with a 5.53 ERA, 66 strikeouts, and a 1.54 WHIP over 55.1 innings while dealing with inconsistency, including a brief demotion to Triple-A late in the year. Though he struggled with his ratios, Bird’s strikeout potential and control made him a bounce-back candidate and a useful bullpen depth piece in 2026.
Why The Yankees Make This Trade
The New York Yankees make this trade because adding Hunter Greene gives them something they can’t easily develop or buy midseason: a controllable, 100-mph frontline starter entering his prime. In 2026, with a win-now roster and championship expectations every year, the Yankees prioritize October dominance, and Greene slots in immediately as a Game 1 or Game 2 playoff arm who can miss bats against elite lineups.
While parting with high-upside prospects like Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. hurts long-term, New York is betting that proven, top-tier starting pitching is more valuable than future potential, especially when their championship window is open right now.
Hunter Greene’s first live AB?
— Joe Danneman (@FOX19Joe) February 17, 2026
Strike swinging
Strike swinging
Strike swinging
Sal Stewart swung out of his helmet on strike two. pic.twitter.com/JDJTFU4gqQ
Why The Reds Make This Trade
The Cincinnati Reds make this trade because it converts one elite asset, Hunter Greene, into multiple long-term building blocks that better balance the roster and extend their competitive window.
Even if Greene is pitching at an ace level, starting pitchers carry injury risk and escalating arbitration costs, so capitalizing on peak value can be smart asset management for a mid-market club.
In return, Cincinnati lands a near-MLB middle-of-the-order outfielder in Spencer Jones, a rotation-ready arm in Will Warren to backfill innings immediately, a high-upside infield prospect in George Lombard Jr., and bullpen depth in Jake Bird.
Instead of relying heavily on one frontline arm, the Reds spread that value across four controllable pieces, improving organizational depth and giving themselves flexibility to contend sustainably rather than top-heavily.
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Ryan Shea is a seasoned sports enthusiast with a sharp eye for strategy and a deep love for the game—no matter the sport. Whether he’s analyzing roster moves or spotting trends before they hit the headlines, Ryan brings a unique mix of research, instinct, and insider perspective to his writing. With over a decade of experience dominating fantasy leagues, he knows what it takes to build championship-caliber lineups. A diehard fan of all things New York, Ryan proudly reps the Jets, Yankees, Knicks, and Rangers—win or lose.