3 Yankees prospects who won’t survive the trade deadline and why

The New York Yankees have more problems than many believed. For a while, they were able to be carried through the season by the outstanding play of Juan Soto, Aaron Judge and their pitching staff. While Judge and Soto have stayed hot, the pitching staff has cooled down.

Besides Judge and Soto, their offense has been atrocious, resulting in a horrible sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds to begin July. There was plenty of blame to go around the Yankees clubhouse, but the bigger idea is that they need to buy and buy in a big way.

But in order to buy, they will need to send off some of their prospects in these deals.

1. SS George Lombard Jr. (No. 6 Prospect)

The Yankees will likely be putting together big trade packages for some of the biggest players on the trade market in the coming weeks. In order for the Yankees to be able to buy in such a big way, they're going to need to move big prospects in return. They could really move any of their top five prospects, besides Jasson Domiguez, so I opted to start the list with their sixth-ranked prospect George Lombard Jr.

Lombard, 19, has struggled in 2024, but that doesn't portray the caliber of player that he is capable of being. The teenager is still growing into his frame and his potential remains to be truly unknown until he's completely physically mature. Despite that, he has all the tools that a team could want in a baseball player, but they're all slowly developing to the professional level.

While Lombard may not be able to be the top headliner in a deal for one of the best names on the market, he could be the complementary piece or the headliner in a deal for a slightly smaller name. Either way, I would imagine Lombard, especially being blocked in the big leagues by Gold Glove shortstop Anthony Volpe, to be shopped in trades this year.

2. RHP Will Warren (No. 7 Prospect)

Yankees' prospect, Will Warren, sits in the same boat as George Lombard Jr. It's tough to predict which of the Yankees' top five prospects would headline a deal for a player like Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert or Cody Bellinger, but it's easier to tell that a name like Warren's would be called as the second player in the package.

Warren, 25, has struggled mightily in 2024, but his production before this season was so impressive that it's impossible to completely write him off at this point. His slider is such a plus pitch that it makes his floor a multi-inning reliever in the big leagues. In all likelihood, Warren could use a fresh start in a new system. This could allow him to get the input of new coaches and new minds to fix what's gone wrong in 2024.

I could imagine Warren being dealt in a ton of different deals ahead of the trade deadline. A deal for a starter like Jack Flaherty could make sense. A deal for a controllable ace like Crochet, where Warren is just a piece in a package could also make plenty of sense. I fully expect to see the right-hander's name attached to a ton of trade discussions in the coming weeks.

3. RHP Clayton Beeter (No. 13 Prospect)

Clayton Beeter might be the most likely prospect to be dealt on this list for a plethora of reasons. While he's pitched well enough for a promotion to the big leagues, the Yankees are eyeing a World Series which means they will be adding pitching to take whatever place he might have fit in. With that said, he's pitching so well in Triple-A that other teams will be aggressively pursuing him in discussions with New York.

Beeter, 25, has a 2.53 ERA across seven Triple-A starts this season. He's incredibly talented, featuring two above-average breaking balls and a plus fastball. His main flaw has always been his control, which has again been a problem in 2024. The good news is that this issue hasn't hurt him much this season because of how hard he has been to hit.

Beeter is flexible in trades, able to be dealt straight up for bats or starting pitchers as well as being able to be a piece of a bigger trade too. He's an MLB-ready prospect that should intrigue plenty of teams. If he can be in and around the zone, he will be a difference-maker in the big leagues.