Yankees 2018 Winter Meetings Rumors: J.A. Happ deal inching closer

The Winter Meetings have reached their third full day, and the Yankees still haven’t made a move. The rumors are scalding hot, however, especially the talks of a three-team blockbuster with the Mets and Marlins. Brian Cashman played coy as always, and there are contradicting reports on the status of such a trade. Could Noah Syndergaard eventually land in the Bronx? That remains to be seen. Perhaps we’ll get more clarity today.

Since it can sometimes be hard to keep up with the news, Pinstripe Alley is going to run a series of posts containing all the Yankees rumors over the next three days. It’s important to remember that these are rumors, and should be taken with a grain of salt. Teams and agents posture, selectively releasing information in a way that benefits them.

Rumors of the Day (December 12, 2018)

• Brian Cashman told Brendan Kuty that adding a pitcher (read: Happ) won’t preclude him for exploring further rotation upgrades. Just when you think you have a full pitching staff, go get another starter. You’ll thank yourself later.
• Carig also notes that rival GMs feel Gary Sanchez could be had in a trade under the “right circumstance”. He relayed an iteration of the three-team trade with the Mets and Marlins where Sanchez landed in Queens. Yikes.
• Marc Carig reports that the Yankees talked to the Cleveland Indians about their starting pitching, but don’t feel they’re a match.
• The Sonny Gray trade market is taking shape, notes Jon Heyman, with the Reds, Padres, Braves, and Mariners in the mix.
• Matt Gelb hears that the Phillies expect Happ to sign elsewhere, lending further credence to the idea of the Yankees landing the left-hander.
• The Yankees have touched base with the representatives for Freddy Galvis, reports Joel Sherman. The all-glove, no-bat shortstop could serve as Didi Gregorius’ temporary replacement should the Bombers miss out on Manny Machado.
• The Happ saga appears to be heading towards a conclusion, as Bryan Hoch indicates both sides are nearing an agreement on a three-year deal.
• Andy Martino is reporting that Happ has not yet made a decision and is weighing multiple offers. The Yankees hope they win out, but this sounds like it was a false alarm. Carry on.
• Or maybe not so fast. Rosenthal now says that the deal is close, but not finished.
• Ken Rosenthal reports that the Yankees are in agreement with J.A. Happ on what’s believed to be a three-year contract. We’ll have a full story on this shortly.
• According to Joel Sherman, the Yankees met with Adam Ottavino’s camp last night. There’s no offer on the table yet, but the team likes him. Here’s our free agent target post on the reliever.
• The markets for J.A. Happ and Lance Lynn are heating up, says Mark Feinsand. The Yankees are connected to both pitchers, although they don’t want to commit to a third year for either.
• Feinsand also explained that the Giants are unlikely to trade Madison Bumgarner. The left-hander may be available come July.

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