Yankees outfield depth could force Guardians to make uncomfortable trade (that could work!)

Sometimes the trade deadline can force baseball teams to make uncomfortable choices. Whether it be a tough trade, DFA or prospect promotion, every deadline forces teams to have to think outside their bubble to upgrade their roster. 

Although the Guardians’ front office is no stranger to that dynamic since it seems like every move tends to make them uncomfortable, they have a golden opportunity to get really uncomfortable at this deadline by dealing some of their prospects to the Yankees in return for either Spencer Jones or Jasson Domínguez. 

A scary proposition, sure, but one that may be a necessary evil given how much of a no-brainer of a trade it could be. 

Spencer Jones or Jasson Domínguez could help fortify the future of the Guardians' outfield

The outfield option who could entice the Guardians the most is Jones, who has played off and on for the Yankees this season but doesn’t seem to have a long-term home on the Yankees’ roster when everyone’s healthy. 

Jones has slashed .230/.316/.379 through 87 at-bats this season with three home runs and 11 RBI. He has legit power and solid speed (88th percentile in sprint speed), but he has some huge whiff problems, as evidenced by him striking out in nearly 40% of his big league at-bats.

He may be a flawed player, but he has oodles of power and was one viewed as one of the 50 best prospects in baseball by multiple outlets. 

Guardians fans got a first-hand look at the power on June 6 when Jones smashed his first big league home run against the Guardians on a Statcast-projected 443 foot smash that ended up in the Progressive Field’s shrubbery. He doesn’t get cheated when he makes contact.

The other option is Domínguez, who was once viewed as one of the top prospects in baseball but has only played in 197 games with the Yankees since making his debut at the end of 2023. 

But he’s yet to put it all together in the big leagues, and has hit just .226 this season with six home runs and a .645 OPS in 45 games. In fact, he started the season in the minors and was only called up after the Yankees lost Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton to injuries. 

Still, it seems clear there is still some talent in there somewhere. Perhaps all he needs is a change of scenery away from the bright lights and pressure that comes with playing for the Yankees. 

Now, any trade with the Yankees would be a bit unique since they’re going to want MLB-ready talent back in return since they’re right in the middle of their contention window. Luckily the Guardians have a clear option who could fit into that window in Cooper Ingle.

Not only did Ingle make his debut earlier this year, but he also can play at catcher and left field, which would help with two of New York’s biggest needs. Things have gotten so bad behind the dish for the Yankees that Ali Sánchez is their primary backup, and the left field picture isn’t much better thanks to Cody Bellinger’s injury. 

The prospect of trading Ingle is scary (especially since he’d be going to the Yankees in this hypothetical scenario), but it seems clear the Guardians don’t view Ingle as their catcher of their future. But just because they feel that way doesn’t mean the Yankees do.

Plus the Yankees can't really be choosers right now due to their lack of catching depth. Ingle would solve one of their problems, while Jones or Domínguez would give Cleveland's outfield the shot in the arm it desperately needs.

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