Yankees 2019 Winter Meetings Rumors: Bombers lose multiple prospects in Rule 5 Draft

These last few days have been fun, right? Scott Boras commandeered the Winter Meetings and found homes for the top three free agents in a span of 72 hours. That includes, as a reminder, Gerrit Cole to the Yankees.

While the fun draws to a close today, there are still some rumors leaking out. Plus the Rule 5 Draft will likely impact the Yankees. We’ll keep track of the final action here.

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, 2019)

• 1:30 PM ET: The Yankees took multiple hits in today’s Rule 5 Draft. The Tigers selected pitcher Rony Garcia first overall. New York also lost a few prospects in the Triple-A portion of the draft, as Conor Foley reports Wendell Rijo went to the Braves, Hobie Harris went to the Blue Jays, Will Carter went to the White Sox, and Raynel Espinal went to the Red Sox.
• 12:55 PM ET: A couple days after seeing their shortstop depart, the Yankees have now lost their backup catcher, as Austin Romine signed a one-year, $4.1-million contract with the Tigers. Perhaps Detroit should bring back former utility-man Andrew Romine in order to reunite the brothers.
• 11:00 AM ET: According to Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), the Yankees are the “most active pursuer” of Brewers reliever Josh Hader. The reliever pitched to a 2.62 ERA (3.10 FIP) with a 16.41 K/9 rate over 75.2 innings in 2019. Rosenthal doesn’t expect a deal to come together, as Milwaukee wants a haul for the right-hander. Can’t say I’m disappointed.
• 11:00 AM ET: Expect a Brett Gardner signing at any time now, says Jon Heyman. It feels like the team and Gardy have been in a holding pattern, but after the Cole signing, it’s just a matter of time.
• 11:00 AM ET: The Twins are among the teams interested in signing Dellin Betances, reports Kristie Ackert. The Mets, meanwhile, don’t appear strongly in the mix, says Andy Martino.

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