The New York Yankees made plenty of moves at the trade deadline, but they drew a clear line when it came to starting pitching.
The Yankees wouldn’t part with their top prospects – shortstop George Lombard and outfielder Spencer Jones – even for a former Cy Young winner.
That’s the word from Jon Heyman, who reported Friday that New York declined to include either prospect in a deal for Sandy Alcantara.
“Yankees declined to give up either Spencer Jones or George Lombard Jr. for Sandy Alcantara. Marlins control Alcantara and Edward Cabrera for multiple years after 2025 so they needed something big. Cubs and Red Sox tried hardest there but no one came especially close.”
You can understand Miami’s position here. They’ve got Alcantara locked up beyond this season, plus Edward Cabrera in the same boat. That kind of control doesn’t come cheap.
Alcantara was one of the most talked-about names leading up to the deadline, though his situation was complicated. The 2022 NL Cy Young winner struggled this season while working back from Tommy John surgery. His numbers weren’t nearly what teams remembered from his dominant 2022 campaign.
What’s interesting is how Cabrera emerged as almost an equal target. Teams would go to scout Alcantara and come away impressed with the younger Cabrera’s potential.
Neither pitcher ended up moving.
Bullpen Over Rotation
The Yankees went a different route entirely. Instead of adding rotation help, they loaded up on relievers.
David Bednar came over from Pittsburgh. Camilo Doval arrived from San Francisco. Jake Bird joined from Colorado. All in the span of Thursday’s deadline day.
It’s an unconventional approach, but there’s logic to it. A super-deep bullpen can cover for rotation issues, especially if you’re willing to use those arms aggressively. Shorter starts become more manageable when you’ve got that many reliable options.
The question is whether it’ll be enough. Starting pitching tends to be what separates contenders in October, and the Yankees are betting they can work around that traditional wisdom.
Keeping the Future Bright
What makes this easier to understand is what the Yankees kept.
Lombard’s been viewed as a potential franchise shortstop – the kind of prospect you don’t move unless you’re getting something truly special back. Jones has shown serious power potential and could be a cornerstone outfielder.
Both players are still working their way through the system, but they represent the Yankees’ next wave of homegrown talent. That’s not something you trade lightly, even for proven big league pitching.
The way I see it, the Yankees made a calculated decision. They addressed their bullpen depth while keeping their prospect capital intact. Whether that’s enough for a championship run remains to be seen.
But they’ll head into the playoffs knowing their future pipeline stayed put.
