Rumors and updates from day one of Winter Meetings regarding Yankees

We’re now at the most exciting point of the MLB offseason, where executives and reporters collide for a few days of an abundance of roster transactions and intense rumors at the Winter Meetings. Already in day one at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland, we have received quite a bit of interesting rumors that directly affect or involve the Yankees.

Screenshot via MLB TV

Aroldis Chapman

Aroldis Chapman is reportedly seeking a deal that spans across six years. There have been rumors that the Yankees are reluctant to go past four years to get the flamethrowing lefty, so that could create a rift between the two sides in contract negotiations. As for a specific dollar amount, Chapman told ESPN’s Marly Rivera:

“The only thing I have expressed is that I would like a six-year contract. I know that doesn’t mean that I will get it, but that’s what I would like to sign. There are rumors out there that I requested $100 million and that’s not true at all. I believe he who deserves something, does not need to demand it.”

Photo Credit: Elsa | Getty Images

On the Yankees side of things, Brian Cashman expressed heavy interest in pursuing Chapman. However, unsure of the market, Cashman did note that he may look into other unnamed options, perhaps alluding to a Kenley Jansen, Boone Logan, or another reliever. Cashman explicitly had this to say:

“We typically on a year in and year out basis, have had exceptional bullpens, and a bridge to get all the way to the closer, and a great closer to close it out. So, I’ve gotta rebuild that. How it’s gonna look, I don’t know yet. If we don’t get a Chapman, for instance, which we’ve declared we’d like to, there’s other alternatives. If we don’t get any of those other alternatives, I’ve got Betances, who’s one of the best relievers (I think) in the game. So then, I’ve gotta backfield behind him.”

Brian Dozier

According to a report by Jon Heyman, the Yankees have at least ‘checked in’ on Twins second baseman Brian Dozier. Now, the Yankees also ‘checked in’ with Yoenis Cespedes, Carlos Beltran, and Rich Hill already this offseason without making a formal offer to any of the three aforementioned free agents. Checking in on available players is a fairly standard thing for GMs to do in order to kick the tires on a potential deal, so it is no surprise that Brian Cashman has checked in on Dozier. Any move that has the ability to improve the Yankees should rightfully so be inspected by Cashman.

Now, a deal with Dozier would lead to a cluttered infield, and would presumably force the Yankees hand in trading Chase Headley to potentially move Starlin Castro to third base. This is a lot to ask, and that is why Cashman shot down this report saying, “I haven’t had any dialogue with the Twins about Dozier. That is a false report.” General managers are sneaky and sure to not give away all their plans, so take reports and quotes from executives with a grain of salt.

Photo Credit: Hannah Foslien | Getty Images

Brett Gardner

In his interview today, Cashman expressed interest in trading Brett Gardner. Cashman said, “People are knocking on the door here for Gardy.” Cashman later noted Aaron Hicks as a guy he was hoping would step up and become a run producer in 2016. Bryan Hoch later tweeted that the Yankees have received “a number of different concepts” involving Gardner, but that the team has said no to all scenarios thus far.

Photo via Bronx Baseball Daily

Bryce Harper

A tweet from Bob Nightengale reporting that the Nationals were “taken aback” by Bryce Harper’s long-term contract request, and plan on moving on from the superstar when his contract expires in 2018. Obviously, this is a long way away, so the accuracy of this report is in question as Harper’s agent Scott Boras shot down this report saying there had been no dialogue with the team about a deal past 2017. Whether the report is true or not, Harper is likely to test the market when his contract expires. In the meantime, this is not a huge storyline.

Photo Credit: Jeff Curry | USA TODAY Sports

Overall

Brian Cashman maintained his intent to contend while simultaneously rebuilding. Cashman stated that he was not comfortable trading away prospects, and he also noted that the signing of Holliday was able to spare the Yankees from losing their first round pick (which would have been the case had they signed an Edwin Encarnacion or Mark Trumbo). I expect the Yankees to be busy, and this is only the beginning of what will be an exciting week.

Article by: Chad Raines
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