The Yankees are heading into the winter with the same people in charge, and that means the pressure shifts back to the roster. Brian Cashman is returning as GM and Aaron Boone is back as manager after New York got swept by the AL East rival Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. With no leadership shakeup coming, the obvious area to attack is the offense.
The problem is that the free-agent market for position players looks thin, which pushes the Yankees toward the trade route. That kind of move usually costs prospects, and this winter there are four names New York should treat as off limits.
Spencer Jones belongs near the top of that list. The rookie outfielder showed what he can do in 2026, putting together a .245/.313/.429 line with a .742 OPS, 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 10 stolen bases and a 0.9 bWAR in 86 big league games.
He should be in line for a starting job in center field next season, and if that doesn’t happen right away, the Yankees should still keep him around as insurance in case Cody Bellinger exercises his opt-out clause following 2027 or 2028. After waiting years for Jones to arrive, New York should give him a real chance to play every day instead of moving him.
George Lombard Jr. is another prospect the Yankees need to protect. The 21-year-old shortstop made his MLB debut in August and hit .237/.285/.414 with a .699 OPS, seven homers, 22 RBI and a 1.1 bWAR in 42 games.
He had some rookie struggles in the field, but he’s generally regarded as a strong defender with a solid arm. Lombard has plenty of upside, and even though third base remains a need, the Yankees shouldn’t deal him unless Jeremy Pena comes back with an extension attached.
Even then, that wouldn’t fix third base by itself. Isaac Paredes would, and the Yankees could probably get Paredes, who has a club option in 2027, from the Houston Astros instead of Pena.
If that’s the route they take, Lombard should stay put.
Dax Kilby is in the same untouchable category. Baseball America ranks the 19-year-old shortstop as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, and he could move to No. 1 once Lombard is no longer prospect-eligible this season.
New York took Kilby with the No. 39 pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, and he rewarded them with a .261/.448/.435 line, four home runs, 26 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 32 High-A games. He’s still early in his pro career, but the upside is obvious, and the Yankees shouldn’t be in a rush to use him as trade bait.
If Paredes is the target, Kilby should remain untouched in those talks.
Then there’s Carlos Lagrange, the most highly regarded pitching prospect in the system. The hard-throwing right-hander is Baseball America’s No.
3 Yankees prospect and the organization’s top pitching prospect. A shoulder injury slowed him down, but he likely would have reached the majors in 2026 without it.
Lagrange’s velocity gives the Yankees options, since he could work as either a starter or a high-leverage reliever. With that kind of ceiling, and the chance to become a star, he’s not the kind of arm New York should be willing to move this offseason.
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Yankees Prospect Dax Kilby Is Forcing A Much Bigger Conversation
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Eric Longenhagen has already taken notice, praising Kilby and projecting him as a potential top-20 prospect in upcoming rankings. For a player who spent much of the year sidelined, that kind of momentum matters, because it puts Kilby back into a conversation the Yankees would much rather have now than later: how quickly his talent can translate into a real rise through the system. [Read more 🡒]