{"id":2847,"date":"2026-06-02T04:50:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T21:50:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.drinkfood.info\/?p=2847"},"modified":"2026-06-02T04:50:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T21:50:31","slug":"shockwave-in-the-bronx-yankees-cut-ties-with-their-6-foot-7-slugger-to-land-a-379-million-projected-monster-goodbye-big-bat-hello-mega-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.drinkfood.info\/?p=2847","title":{"rendered":"SHOCKWAVE IN THE BRONX! Yankees CUT TIES with their 6-foot-7 slugger to land a $379 MILLION projected monster \u2013 goodbye BIG BAT, hello MEGA STAR."},"content":{"rendered":"
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In a move that would send ripples throughout Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees are seriously contemplating parting ways with one of their most physically imposing and promising young talents to acquire Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.<\/p>\n

According to The Athletic\u2019s Jim Bowden, the Yankees may be willing to build a trade package around outfielder\u00a0Spencer Jones<\/strong>\u00a0and right-hander\u00a0Ben Hess<\/strong>\u00a0in pursuit of the left-handed Skubal, especially if they believe they can lock the star pitcher up long-term beyond his current contract.<\/p>\n

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The High-Stakes Calculus in New York<\/h3>\n

Bowden was clear in his analysis: the Yankees are unwilling to surrender their elite pitching prospects\u00a0Carlos Lagrange<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0Elmer Rodr\u00edguez<\/strong>, nor are they prepared to include top infield prospects\u00a0George Lombard Jr.<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0Dax Kilby<\/strong>\u00a0for what would essentially be a rental. However, the combination of Jones and Hess represents a more palatable path to acquiring Skubal\u2019s elite arm.<\/p>\n

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Jones, the 6-foot-7 former No. 25 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, embodies the classic high-upside, high-risk prospect profile. Blessed with tremendous raw power and plus speed, the towering outfielder also carries significant swing-and-miss concerns, with projections suggesting he could strike out 200 times in a full major-league season. After a brief and challenging stint in the Bronx \u2014 hitting just .167 across 10 games \u2014 Jones was optioned back to the minors in May. Yankees manager Aaron Boone described the decision as \u201ca really tough call,\u201d praising the young slugger\u2019s competitive at-bats despite the lack of results.<\/p>\n

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Ben Hess, meanwhile, is working his way back from forearm inflammation that sidelined him for nearly a month. He was activated on May 14, but any team acquiring him \u2014 including the Tigers \u2014 would conduct thorough medical evaluations before finalizing a deal.<\/p>\n

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Skubal: The $379 Million Prize<\/h3>\n

Skubal is currently in the final year of a one-year, $32 million contract, but his open-market value is expected to be enormous. Spotrac projects the Tigers left-hander could command a staggering\u00a0nine-year, $379 million<\/strong>\u00a0deal in free agency.<\/p>\n

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For the Yankees, who have not won a World Series since 2009, the appeal is obvious. Adding Skubal to a rotation already featuring\u00a0Gerrit Cole<\/strong>,\u00a0Max Fried<\/strong>, and\u00a0Cam Schlittler<\/strong>\u00a0would create one of the most formidable postseason pitching groups in baseball.<\/p>\n

Tigers Trending Toward Selling<\/h3>\n

Recent reporting from Fox Sports\u2019 Ken Rosenthal indicates the Tigers are \u201ctrending\u201d toward trading Skubal ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. Despite being in a weak American League, Detroit sits well under .500 and faces a steep climb to contention. The combination of Skubal\u2019s impending free agency and the team\u2019s outlook has shifted focus toward maximizing his trade value while he remains healthy.<\/p>\n

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The Big Question for the Yankees<\/h3>\n

Would the Yankees really move on from Spencer Jones \u2014 a player once viewed as a potential cornerstone \u2014 to land Skubal?<\/p>\n

Bowden notes the difficulty of such a decision. Jones possesses the kind of rare physical tools that franchises dream about. Yet in the ultra-competitive AL East, with a clear window to chase another championship, New York may decide that an established ace with ace-level stuff is more valuable than a high-variance prospect still refining his approach at the plate.<\/p>\n

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As the trade deadline approaches, all eyes will be on Brian Cashman and the Yankees front office. A deal centered on Jones and Hess would represent a clear \u201cwin-now\u201d mentality \u2014 one that could reshape the Bronx roster immediately while reshaping the narrative around a franchise hungry to end its long championship drought.<\/p>\n

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In a move that would send ripples throughout Major League Baseball, the New York Yankees are seriously contemplating parting ways with one of their most physically imposing… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\nSHOCKWAVE IN THE BRONX! 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