With the trade deadline closing in and the Yankees staring at obvious roster holes, Brian Cashman may once again have to reach into the farm system to patch things up.
Early reporting has pointed to a front office that is willing to discuss just about everyone in the system except top prospect George Lombard Jr., which puts a spotlight on how the Yankees might balance present needs against future value. And if they do swing a deal in the next week, several names are likely to surface.
Spencer Jones is one of them. The Yankees’ first-round pick in 2022 out of Vanderbilt University has long been the prospect fans have circled for his power, and he finally got that look at the big league level this season.
Jones tore through the minors last year with 35 homers and a .933 OPS, putting himself on the doorstep of the majors. But his first stint in the big leagues was rough: after 24 at-bats, he was sent back down with just four hits, no homers and strikeouts in half his trips to the plate.
The Yankees also seemed hesitant to trust him against left-handed pitching, using him mostly as a platoon bat. That kind of usage makes him a logical trade chip, especially with his name already mentioned alongside Jasson Dominguez as a possible piece in a deal that could improve the current roster.
Another bat that could draw attention is first-rounder Dax Kilby, the Yankees’ 2025 draft pick. Kilby has barely gotten started as a pro, with only 93 at-bats under his belt, and he spent almost all of the 2026 season on the injured list before recently finishing rehab games and returning to Single-A Tampa.
Even with the limited track record, the 19-year-old has shown exactly what made him appealing in the draft: contact ability. Through 109 plate appearances, he has struck out 19 times, walked 16 times, hit .312 and posted an .843 OPS.
If the Yankees get involved in a major trade, especially something on the level of Mason Miller, Kilby is the kind of name that could come up quickly, particularly with the organization reportedly reluctant to move Lombard Jr. He could even end up as the top prospect in the system once Lombard Jr. graduates, if he stays put.
On the pitching side, Elmer Rodriguez is another player to watch. He’s a top-five prospect in the organization and already made his major league debut on the mound this season.
For teams looking for MLB-ready starting pitching, he checks a lot of boxes. In the minors, Rodriguez has been known for his command and a solid mix of pitches, but his brief big league run exposed some control issues, including two starts with four or more walks.
The strikeouts weren’t there either, as he fanned just 10 batters in 17 major league innings. Even so, he still carries plenty of appeal.
Back in the minors this year, Rodriguez has a 2.93 ERA, a 1.29 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in 76.1 innings. Like Jones, he looks like the kind of prospect the Yankees might move now while his value remains strong and his upside is still intact.
Ben Hess rounds out the group, and he gives the Yankees yet another young arm other teams will ask about. A 2024 first-round pick out of the University of Alabama, Hess had a strong first pro season in 2025, finishing with a 3.51 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP and 139 strikeouts in 103.1 innings.
He has the profile of a future front-end starter, built around a big fastball and solid breaking stuff. This season has been a different story because of injuries.
Hess made two starts in April, landed on the injured list until mid-May and has been working back since then. In 2026, he has a 1.38 WHIP with 55 strikeouts over 45.2 innings.
The injury history complicates the picture, but it also hasn’t stopped other clubs from taking interest. He’s the sort of pitching prospect who could help a team in need, and he may be close enough to the majors that a deal could make sense for a club looking for rotation help soon.
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What makes the situation more interesting is that the fit could extend beyond a simple rental. Hicks is under team control for years to come and would give the Yankees a chance to stabilize a spot that has been in flux, while any deal would likely force them to weigh the cost of parting with pitching prospects such as Ben Hess or Henry Lalane. For a club trying to improve without emptying the system, that is the kind of decision that can shape the rest of the winter. [Read more 🡒]
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Christian Bethancourt has already been added on a minor-league deal and sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, giving the Yankees a veteran fallback if they need another option in a hurry. The bigger question is what happens next, because the club is still looking at other catching possibilities and any move to bring one in could force a tough decision on the current roster. [Read more 🡒]
A-Rods Latest Relationship Twist Has Yankees Fans Doing A Double Take
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The latest wrinkle came around Rodriguezs 51st birthday, when Hayden shared an Instagram post that put the spotlight on the pair in a way that was hard to miss. With the two already appearing together in public and settling into a summer routine that has drawn plenty of attention, the interest now is less about whether there is something there and more about how openly they choose to move from here. [Read more 🡒]