Yankees have shown past interest in Nationals CF Jacob Young, per report

The New York Yankees have shown past interest in Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young, according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, as reported by MLB Trade Rumors' AJ Eustace. Whether that interest ever materialized into formal discussions — or amounted to routine due diligence — is not clear from the report. What is clear is that the Nationals were known to be exploring a trade of Young as far back as January, and per the report, Washington may continue fielding calls on him.

What happened

Per Sherman's reporting, the Yankees are among the clubs that have looked at Young as a potential acquisition target, though the nature and depth of that interest remains unspecified. The Nationals, for their part, have not been shy about making Young available; the report notes they were actively exploring a trade of the 27-year-old earlier this year. Whether New York re-engages this offseason is an open question — the report describes the Yankees as not strictly needing Young at the moment, while leaving the door open for renewed interest.

This surfaces against a backdrop of Aaron Judge publicly calling on the Yankees front office to go "all in" this offseason, a sentiment he has voiced alongside his backing of manager Aaron Boone's return. That kind of public pressure from a franchise cornerstone tends to focus front-office attention, and center field is one of the positions where the offseason market offers limited options.

Why it matters

The free-agent center field class, per the report, is not inspiring. The names available — TJ Friedl, Trent Grisham, and Daulton Varsho as rebound candidates, and Tyrone Taylor and Lane Thomas as short-side platoon options — are all projected to cost more than Young and none carry his combination of defensive profile and team control. Young, who is eligible for arbitration for the first time in 2027, can be controlled through the 2029 season. That is a meaningful distinction for a club weighing cost certainty against a market that does not offer a clear frontline answer in center.

The Yankees also have recent history with the Nationals organization. Luis García Jr. was traded from Washington to New York at the trade deadline, per a prior report, which means the two front offices have at least a working familiarity heading into what could be a busy winter.

Young would not arrive as a lineup centerpiece. The report is candid about that. He is a below-average hitter by the numbers, and the Yankees would be acquiring him for what he does away from the plate — which, by several measures, is considerable.

The numbers

Young has appeared in 471 plate appearances this past season, batting .252/.318/.390 with a 7.0% walk rate and a 16.6% strikeout rate. His 95 wRC+ placed him five points below league-average production, but per the report, that is the best mark of his career. Over his four big-league seasons combined, he has batted .248/.312/.339 across 1,477 plate appearances, with an 82 wRC+.

Power is not the profile. Young has 15 career home runs and a .091 isolated slugging percentage. What he offers instead is speed and defense, and the numbers there are considerably more striking.

He has stolen 79 bases in 104 opportunities — a 76% success rate that the report describes as right around league average. In center field, he has accumulated +22 Defensive Runs Saved and +49 Outs Above Average since debuting in 2023. That +49 OAA ranks second among center fielders with at least 1,000 innings over that span, trailing only the Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong, who has posted +60 OAA. Statcast credited Young with 96th-percentile range as a center fielder this past season. DRS came in at -3 for the year — less flattering than prior seasons, per the report, but still considered passable.

One additional wrinkle worth noting: Young posted a 115 wRC+ against left-handed pitching this season, which gives him real value as a platoon option even if his overall offensive profile remains a work in progress.

Where the club stands

The Yankees finished the regular season 93-68 (.578), sitting 2nd in the AL East, 4.5 games back in the division race and eliminated from the division title. They hold the top Wild Card position, sitting +9.5 relative to the cut line, and enter the postseason on a one-game winning streak. A club in that position — deep in October, with Judge loudly advocating for an aggressive offseason — is not going to treat center field as an afterthought when the roster is being rebuilt for another run.

What we don't know yet

The report does not specify whether the Yankees' past interest was ever communicated to Washington in any formal way, or whether it was simply internal evaluation. It does not indicate whether New York has re-engaged since the season ended, or whether the Nationals have set any asking price. The report also does not clarify what Washington would expect in return — noting only that a Young trade would not command the same return as a hypothetical deal involving CJ Abrams or James Wood.

The arbitration timeline adds another layer. Young is not eligible until 2027, meaning Washington is not under immediate financial pressure to move him. That could make the Nationals patient sellers, or it could make them willing to deal from a position of relative comfort rather than urgency.

What to watch

The center field market will take shape as clubs finalize their offseason priorities in the coming weeks. If the Yankees determine that none of the available free agents fit their needs — whether on cost, control, or profile — Young's combination of elite range, team control through 2029, and left-on-left value could make him a more attractive target than his overall offensive line might suggest at first glance.

Per the report, the Nationals are expected to continue fielding calls on Young regardless of whether New York circles back. That means other clubs will be in the conversation too, and whatever leverage Washington has will depend in part on how many teams decide the free-agent alternatives are insufficient. The Yankees' level of interest, and whether it ever moves beyond the due-diligence stage, is the thread worth following here.