Yankees 2019 Winter Meetings Rumors: Bombers shopping J.A. Happ

The first full day of the Winter Meetings has arrived, and that means you should expect plenty of action across baseball. The hot stove has potential to take off in San Diego. Some Yankees rumors already leaked out yesterday, including a disagreement over whether a contract offer was made to Gerrit Cole. You catch up on of Sunday’s news here. What will today bring? Check back for live updates.

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 9, 2019)

• 10:05 PM ET: Per Joel Sherman, the Yankees are working hard to move J.A. Happ in the event they sign Gerrit Cole. The southpaw will earn $17 million in 2020.
• 8:25 PM ET: Make of this what you will, but Brian Cashman won’t speak to the media today. The Yankees told reporters he will connect with them tomorrow, says Lindsey Adler. I think he’s got something else on his plate tonight...
• 7:45 PM ET: A pair of the Yankees’ internal free agents sound open to one-year deals. ‘ Dellin Betances is looking to restore value, while Jon Heyman notes Didi Gregorius could do the same. Gregorius has multi-year offers, but would like to show teams what he can do when fully healthy.
• 6:25 PM ET: The bidding on Gerrit Cole is expected to blow past $300 million, reports both Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman.
• 4:20 PM ET: According to Jack Curry, Brian Cashman made it to San Diego, and he’s ready to make a “very, very competitive offer” to Cole. The Angels appear ready to go blow-for-blow, as Martino explains they’re feeling “very aggressive.”
• 3:15 PM ET: Did you have a chance to catch your breath? I hope you did, because a Cole signing is expected by the end of the Winter Meetings, says Jon Morosi and Joel Sherman. Will the Yankees push $300 million? That’s what it looks like it will take to get the right-hander now.
• 2:50 PM ET: Stephen Strasburg comes off the board. The Nationals agreed to bring back the World Series MVP, according to Jon Heyman. He will break David Price’s record, as Mark Feinsand reports the deal is for seven years and $245 million. All eyes are on Cole now.
• 1:36 PM ET: You can probably stop dreaming about a Francisco Lindor trade. Jon Heyman notes that the Indians want to hang on to the shortstop for another year.
• 1:36 PM ET: Andy Martino believes the Yankees’ true competition for Cole comes from the Angels. The Dodgers seem to have other priorities right now.
• 11:20 AM ET: Sweeny Murti reports that Austin Romine is in San Diego. The Yankees have some interest in retaining the backstop, but others are involved. You would have to think he prices himself out of backup catcher range.
• 11:20 AM ET: The asking price for left-hander Madison Bumgarner is reportedly set at five years and north of $100 million, says Bob Nightengale. The Yankees apparently viewed Bumgarner as a fallback option if they whiff on Cole.
• 8:00 AM ET: A rival executive told Jayson Stark of The Athletic (subscription required) that the bidding for Gerrit Cole would finish in the range of $250 million to $280 million over eight years. That sounds doable for the Yankees, doesn’t it?
• 8:00 AM ET: On the subject of Cole, Joel Sherman thinks the bidding war for him could pit the Yankees against the Dodgers. He also reports that the Yankees may feel comfortable blowing past the luxury tax knowing it will be adjusted in the next CBA.
• 8:00 AM ET: The Reds still have Didi Gregorius on their radar, but they’re not sure if the financials will work, says Jon Heyman. Brian Cashman recently mentioned that he has kept in touch with Sir Didi’s representatives.

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