Yankees change of heart on Spencer Jones' future comes way too late

The New York Yankees, for all their foibles and follies, are 70-49, tied for first place in the American League. That is a damn good baseball team, led by two of the greatest players of this era in Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

Not much is preventing the Yankees from making an honest run at the World Series. There is a version of reality in which the Bronx Bombers are hosting a parade this winter. Still, the Yankees are not infallible, and their flaws are outlined in neon following a stunning lack of proactivity at the trade deadline.

Generally, when there is a tight window to contend — and there certainly is with Soto's contract concluding at season's end — teams wisely push their chips in. The Yankees are right on the precipice of immortality and could've engineered a major move or two at the trade deadline to put this roster over the top.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. certainly qualifies as a major addition, and his electricity has been just what the doctor ordered for a previously pallid and stagnant squad. Chisholm alone does not address the totality of New York's weaknesses, though. The infield still lacks consistency on the offensive end, while another top-line starter sure would've been nice.

Plenty of names were connected to New York ahead of the deadline — Garrett Crochet, Blake Snell, Vlad Guerrero, et al — but the Yankees ultimately played it safe. One reason for New York's lack of truly monumental additions over the past year? Spencer Jones. The Yankees' No. 2 prospect (No. 71 overall), Jones has been a sticking point in past trade negotiations.

Now, however, the Yankees seem to be coming around on the idea of trading Jones for the right piece. That revelation arrives a little late, unfortunately.

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Yankees finally open to trading Spencer Jones for the right star

According to SNY's Andy Martino, Jones was off the table in offseason trade talks — even when Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease were involved. Fast forward to the trade deadline, and the Yankees "really [didn't] want to trade him," but it was no longer out of the question. Martino floats Tarik Skubal as the sort of player New York would entertain trading Jones for.

That is generally the correct mindset for the Yankees. It has been a rocky campaign for Jones in the minors, but he's a singular talent at 23 years old. New York cannot and will not trade him for scraps, but for a true needle-mover in a potential World Series season? It's worth it, especially if the returning star has multiple years of team control on his contract.

Obviously Burnes was on an expiring deal when the Baltimore Orioles eventually traded for him (a move that could haunt the Yankees down the line in October), but Cease was controllable for a few years, as were the likes of Skubal or Crochet at the trade deadline a couple weeks ago. Had New York truly wanted to lock in viable championship odds, a Jones trade surely would have returned the requisite player.

Trades are difficult in the MLB. Every team values its top prospects, even when projecting prospects is a crapshoot more often than not. Jones is on track for a long and fruitful MLB career, but it's nothing close to a guarantee. Moreover, Burnes or Cease would have impacted the Yankees' title odds this season. Guaranteed. We can say the same about the top pitchers New York passed up at the deadline.

Tha Yankees front office deserves its flowers for the Chisholm trade, but between missing out on multiple Cy Young candidates and planting seeds for a potential Juan Soto departure, there's plenty to be critical of.