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The New York Yankees are in second place in the American League East at the MLB All-Star Break. After a hot start, they hit the brakes in June and July, falling behind the Toronto Blue Jays. As Aaron Judge continues his otherworldly prime, the Yankees should be all in at the MLB trade deadline. Pitcher Cam Schlittler and outfielder Spencer Jones should be on the move at this year's trade deadline.
Schlittler is a right-handed pitcher who recently made his MLB debut at 24 years old. He allowed three runs in 5.1 innings in a Yankees win over the Seattle Mariners. The Massachusetts native is ranked tenth in New York's system and is MLB-ready. That is a huge piece for the Bombers to give up, especially considering their pitching injuries. But they cannot leave the trade deadline without serious improvements.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talked about what the team needs at the MLB trade deadline. He highlighted starting pitching, bullpen arms, and an infielder as needs. With Oswaldo Cabrera out for the year and DJ LeMahieu off the team, a third baseman is a must. Their bullpen is fried, and Luis Gil may not be a stretched-out starter when he comes back. To get all of those things, Schlittler has to be on the table.
In his debut, Schlitller hit triple digits multiple times and struck out seven batters. The Yankees have had recent success developing pitchers, with Clarke Schmidt and Will Warren in the rotation. But they need a playoff starter right now, and Schlittler might not be ready for that.
The Arizona Diamondbacks and Yankees would be great trade partners. Eugenio Suarez and Merrill Kelly will be two of the best players traded and fit New York's needs. But Schlittler alone will not get that deal done.
The Yankees should trade Spencer Jones as well
At this time last year, Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones were the top two Yankees prospects. After losing Juan Soto in free agency, one needed to step up and take the MLB job. That has been Dominguez this year, with a .760 OPS at the break. That makes Jones, despite his electric minor league numbers, should be on the move.
Jones was drafted 25th overall by the Yankees in the 2022 MLB Draft. At 6'7″ with an electric power bat, the comparisons to Aaron Judge are easy to make. Add in his seven home runs in 14 games with AAA Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Jones' stock is rising. But Cody Bellinger's defense makes him a candidate to come back on a new contract, leaving Jones without a spot.
The simplest trade the Yankees could make is with the Diamondbacks. Schlittler and Jones, for Kelly and Suarez, fill the biggest needs for the 2025 team. They might have to add in some lower-level prospects, but the biggest names would be these two. The Diamondbacks would be getting a difference-making power bat and an MLB-ready arm for their pending free agents.
The Yankees should be willing to pay the high price for Kelly and Suarez. They both have playoff experience, would slide right into the starting rotation and lineup with no issues, and could change their season. Aaron Judge is not getting any younger, and this team has serious issues it must fix.
The MLB trade deadline has not been as active since the sixth playoff team was added in each league. Teams like the Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals would have been sellers in previous years, but may hold onto pieces this year. That drives up the price for a team like the Yankees, which is a clear buyer as July 31 approaches.
