Overview
- With Cody Bellinger opting out and Trent Grisham expected to decline his qualifying offer, New York faces two outfield vacancies this winter.
- SNY’s Anthony McCarron publicly predicted a straight swap of top prospect Spencer Jones for Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan as a solution for left field and the leadoff spot.
- McCarron’s case centers on Kwan’s elite defense and an 8.7% strikeout rate last season, a profile the Yankees lacked as they posted one of MLB’s higher strikeout rates.
- Jones, the Yankees’ No. 4 prospect, slugged 35 minor-league homers in 2025, and GM Brian Cashman said he has played his way into the roster conversation, underscoring the cost of such a move.
- Coverage notes Cleveland has listened on Kwan before but suggests a one-for-one is unlikely, and reports conflict on his remaining team control, with one outlet citing one arbitration year and another citing two.