This time of year, the rumors tend to fly and you never know if they have legs or not.
One of them that came up today in Nashville when ESPN’s Jayson Stark reported the Yankees have inquired about the availability of Marlins ace Jose Fernandez.
Now before all of Yankee Universe gets ready to unwrap a new ace on Christmas, understand this is just a rumor and it’s going to take a ton for the Yankees to get the 23 year-old into pinstripes.
Much like Matt Harvey, Fernandez is under control for three more seasons. These type of guys don’t grow on trees and to find one that’s available is even more rare.
That being said, because Fernandez is represented by Scott Boras and because the Marlins have had some disagreements on how their ace should be used coming back from Tommy John surgery and he is upset because the Marlins sent down Marcell Ozuna – another client – so he doesn’t qualify for arbitration , there is a possibility Fernandez may be on the move.
But it will take a haul and a huge one at that. CBS Sports Jon Heyman tweeted, “Marlins said to be seeking ‘5 or 6’ great young players in trade for Jose, one gm says. Many MLB ready too.”
That price is definitely too high and but that could come down which is why the Yankees need to stay in this.
General manager Brian Cashman did a very good job showing restraint over the past year and held onto his top prospects. Both Luis Severino and Greg Bird look like they can be solid big leaguers. Aaron Judge is another guy who seems to have a future. Sending them away for a rental at the deadline would have been foolish.
For someone like Fernandez makes sense. The Yankees would be getting a top of the rotation pitcher that immediately gives the team someone who can match up with every other ace in baseball.
Last season, we saw what top of the line pitching did for the Mets. The cross-town rival was able to match up with the Dodgers best pitching and was able to shut down the heavy hitting Cubs.
At 23, he is more valuable than 26 year-old Harvey and 27 year-old Jacob deGrom.
The Yankees still consider themselves an October contender. If they plan on winning a World Series any time soon, they will need a pitcher like Fernandez leading the way.
And the good news is that they will have plenty of money available in three years to sign Fernandez to a long term deal.
It’s still a long shot, but this is the type of move the Yankees need to make.
About the Author
