The Yankees did not exactly arrive at Wrigley Field humming. They had managed just one run across two straight extra-inning losses to the White Sox, Aaron Boone had already said the quiet part out loud, and Shota Imanaga was carving through the order like the afternoon belonged to him.
Then Spencer Jones changed the whole feel of the day.
With two outs in the fifth and New York holding a 1-0 lead, Jones turned on an Imanaga pitch and sent it 418 feet to right field. It was his fourth homer of the season, and the first of his major league career against a left-handed pitcher. For a left-handed hitter who has spent much of his time being protected from same-side matchups, that was a meaningful box to check.
The Yankees rode that swing to a 2-0 win over the Cubs, with Amed Rosario providing the other jolt. Rosario opened the scoring in the fourth with a 450-foot solo homer, also with two outs.
That was the entire offensive story New York needed. The Yankees finished with four hits, but the two solo shots were enough to snap them out of the funk that had followed them from Chicago’s South Side.
Jones did more than just homer. He reached base twice in three plate appearances, including a leadoff walk in the eighth, and now has homered in two of his last three games. For a player whose raw power has long been obvious and whose strike-zone judgment has lagged behind it, Friday offered a cleaner version of the package.
Afterward, Jones kept his reaction measured.
“Awesome to get a pitch to handle and obviously the result was cool,” said Jones, who thoroughly enjoyed his first experience playing at the Friendly Confines.
The timing around his homer gives the moment extra weight. The Yankees entered the day at 61-48, sitting in a wild-card position and heading toward MLB’s Aug. 3 trade deadline with clear needs: a right-handed-hitting catcher, another outfield bat and a swing-and-miss reliever for a bullpen that has been asked to carry plenty. At the same time, the club is still sorting out what it has in its own young talent, especially with Aaron Judge sidelined by a fractured rib, Giancarlo Stanton out and Cody Bellinger unavailable.
Jones is right in the middle of that conversation. Three separate call-ups have not yet given him a first homer against a lefty, but Friday finally did.
And because other clubs have already asked about him, his breakthrough only sharpens the Yankees’ dilemma. A player with his blend of power and speed - and his high strikeout rate - is exactly the kind of name that can draw real interest in trade talks.
He is not alone in that regard. Will Warren, who threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings to help finish off the shutout, has been part of trade chatter for weeks. Switch-hitting outfielder Jasson Dominguez and left-hander Ryan Weathers also fit into that movable-pieces category, and the Yankees have a deep group of minor league pitchers who could be used to strengthen a pennant chase.
For the moment, though, the result on the field is what matters most. New York moved to 62-48 after the win, kept its wild-card spot in the American League and stayed in the thick of a crowded race with Tampa Bay leading the AL East.
With another game at Wrigley on Saturday and Max Fried set to face the Cubs’ David Peterson, the deadline noise will keep building. Jones has at least made his case on the field - and in doing so, made himself harder to ignore.
In Other News...
Yankees Deadline Push Now Hinges On One Catching Upgrade
The Yankees are still trying to make one more meaningful move before the deadline, and the most interesting part of their search has centered on catcher. They want a right-handed bat behind the plate, a sensible fit for a roster that is already being pushed toward added bullpen help and another right-handed hitter elsewhere, and they have not been shy about working the market with that kind of urgency.
Tyler Stephenson, Adley Rutschman and Ryan Jeffers have all come up as possible answers, which shows how broad the search has become and how competitive the market is likely to be. For a club intent on upgrading in more than one spot, the catching pursuit may end up shaping how the rest of the deadline unfolds, especially if the front office has to decide how far it wants to go to land the right fit. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Have A Trade Answer For Their Injury Hit Lineup
The Yankees lineup has been strained by the injuries to Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger, and the front office has been doing what it can to survey a thin trade market for help. Catchers and infielders are scarce in particular, which makes the search more difficult and pushes the conversation toward whatever productive bats might actually become available before the deadline.
One name worth watching is Randy Arozarena, a player the Yankees know well enough to appreciate as a possible fit in a lineup looking for more punch. The Seattle outfielder has put together strong offensive numbers this season, and his situation could make him one of the more interesting names to track if New York decides it needs to act on the market rather than wait for reinforcements from within. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Fans Just Got A Yankees Trade Twist To Process
The Yankees are adding another wrinkle to their infield and batting-order picture, with ESPNs Jeff Passan reporting they are reportedly trading for Nationals first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. It is the kind of move that immediately invites lineup speculation because Garcia gives New York another capable left-handed bat, and any extra offense around the middle of the order tends to matter in October-minded planning.
But the fit is not as simple as just slotting in one more name and moving on. Garcias arrival adds depth, yet it also brings a real juggling act for the Yankees as they try to sort out playing time and keep the lineup balanced without creating unnecessary friction on the bench. The upside is obvious, but the next question is how New York makes all of the pieces work once everyone is actually in the mix. [Read more 🡒]