Yankees must include prized prospect in blockbuster trade for White Sox ace, per insider

If the New York Yankees want Garrett Crochet, they'll have to part ways with one of their prized prospects in the trade.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports , the Chicago White Sox are insisting the Yankees include outfielder Spencer Jones in a potential blockbuster trade for Crochet.

The Yankees are hesitant to move off of Jones, the team's first-round pick in 2022, and for good reason. The 23-year-old has a .720 OPS and 10 home runs in 295 at-bats in 2024.

Jones represented the Yankees at the MLB All-Star Futures Game in Arlington on Saturday afternoon. The Yankees view Jones in a similar mold to Aaron Judge.

There aren't many potential trades that the Yankees should consider giving up Jones, but a deal for Crochet would probably be included in that rare instance.

The White Sox ace has turned into a special talent since moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation in 2024.

Crochet is 6-6 with a 3.20 ERA in 20 starts and 107.1 innings this season. His 150 strikeouts and 3.9 fWAR lead MLB. He's also just 25 years old and is under team control through the 2026 season.

The biggest question mark for Crochet comes with his potential innings limit. Entering this season, Crochet had a combined 73 innings pitched in his first three campaigns.

So while the Yankees would have to make a decision on his usage during the second half, this is also a move that can be made for the future. Having a 1-2 punch of Gerrit Cole and Crochet would be tremendous for the Yankees.

There are still two more weeks before the trade deadline arrives, but this will be one of the dominating storylines to keep an eye on.