The MLB hot stove has cooled off dramatically now that the waiver trade deadline has passed, but there are still a few rumblings around the league ahead of the postseason. With that in mind, here are all the latest MLB rumors and news you need to know.
Yankees targeting Fernandez
The New York Yankees are looking to upgrade their starting pitching going into the 2017 season, and their top target is Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez, according to John Harper of the New York Daily News;
Perhaps the most do-able and desirable of those potential trades is Fernandez, mainly because he'll be two years away from free agency after this season, and the Marlins almost surely won't be able to lock him up, especially after they committed $325 million to Giancarlo Stanton.
As an executive from one team told me last week, "They're going to trade him. It's just a matter of when."
So what would it take to get him? The executive I spoke to thinks it would take four of the Yankees' young players, two of them blue-chippers.
So what would it take? Probably a package of Clint Frazier, the dynamic outfield prospect they acquired for Andrew Miller, as well as one of their highly-touted shortstop prospects, Gleyber Torres or Jorge Mateo, plus a couple of young pitchers, likely including Justus Sheffield, the lefthander in the Miller deal.
Fernandez, 24, is 13-8 with a 3.03 ERA this season. He is set to be a free agent this summer.
Papelbon latest
Closer Jonathan Papelbon has still not signed with a team since being released by the Washington Nationals a few weeks ago. Several teams were thought to be interested in his services, so why hasn't he signed yet? Fansided's David Hill explains:
Speculation is that, if Papelbon wanted to sign, he would have already. In fact, no one quite seems to know what he has been doing in the past few weeks since the Nationals let him go, leading to questions of whether or not he even wants to pitch again this season, or try his luck in free agency this winter.
Of course, there is another possible option. Maybe these ‘offers’ that Papelbon claimed to be mulling over were simply not there, akin to the ‘mystery team’ that pops up in every Scott Boras negotiation. Maybe other teams simply did not trust the combustible Papelbon in their clubhouse, and the potential effect he could have on the team’s chemistry.
Papelbon had a 4.37 ERA with 19 saves in 37 appearances with the Nationals.
Duffy out for the year
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Matt Duffy will play in a few more games this week, then will be shut down for the remainder of the season, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times:
For one, newly acquired shortstop Matt Duffy is expected to be shut down this week to have season-ending surgery to address the lingering soreness stemming from his earlier left Achilles injury, the Tampa Bay Times has learned, with the idea he will be ready by spring.
Duffy is batting .258 with five homers and 28 RBIs in 91 games this season.
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