The New York Yankees made one of their first splashes of the offseason last week, dealing third baseman Martin Prado to the Miami Marlins for RHP Nathan Eovaldi and first baseman/outfielder Garrett Jones.
What other moves does Yankees GM Brian Cashman have in store with spring training just a couple months away? Where does rumor separate from fact? We'll answer these questions and more in our latest Yankees Rumors Roundup!
New York in the hunt for "Big Game" James?
The New York Yankees are one of three teams that noted Boston Globe MLB rumors guru Nick Cafardo named as a potential destination for free agent pitcher James Shields as Shields searches for a mega-contract:
The final Shields numbers are expected to be close to the five years and $110 million remaining (if the option is picked up) on the Cole Hamels deal, according to one major league source who was privy to Shields’s demands. The Giants and Red Sox are in the picture, and the Yankees may be another suitor.
New York's involvement in the James Shields race appears peripheral right now, but don't be surprised if Cashman decides to reach into the organization's deep pockets to make an enticing offer sometime soon.
Max Scherzer off the table and back to Motown?
Yankees president Randy Levine said Thursday that the team is highly unlikely to place a bid on free agent starter Max Scherzer with his current reported salary demands.
"The chances of us bringing in a guy for six [years] and $25 million or over in my opinion is virtually none,'' Levine said, via ESPN.com. "At the end of the day you have to be realistic in any organization.''
The Globe's Nick Cafardo cites several unnamed baseball executives as stating that a return to the Detroit Tigers is likely in order for Scherzer, especially after the team dealt Rick Porcello away earlier in the offseason.
Prado's exit to lead to an Asdrubal Cabrera signing?
Cabrera's agent, Alan Nero, says that he's had dialogue with several teams, but a viable deal hasn't presented itself as of yet.
With a stated willingness to move to second base, the 29-year-old switch hitter's value appears to be increasing by the day. The Yankees, Nick Cafardo writes, could covet the veteran's versatility, with a potential low-risk one-year deal a distinct possibility.
News & Notes
* The Yankees don't appear to be interested in veteran free agent reliever Jason Grilli. Grilli's agent, Gary Sheffield, says GM Brian Cashman told him "not at the moment" in regards to the team's current interest level in the 38-year-old righty.
* Forbes writer David Lariviere posits that the four-year deal that the Yankees handed Chase Headley plus the addition of Garrett Jones could spell the end of Alex Rodriguez's time in New York before Memorial Day.
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