Yankees 2020 Trade Deadline Rumors: Padres close to landing Mike Clevinger

We’ve entered the last full day before 2020 MLB Trade Deadline. Teams have until 4:00 PM ET tomorrow to make deals for their postseason push. The activity has picked up around the league of late, with more rumors leaking out. Yankees GM Brian Cashman opened up about his desire to add starting pitching yesterday, but he also noted the difficulties of making moves in this year’s landscape.

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 you should take them with a grain of salt. Teams frequently posture, selectively releasing information in a way that benefits them.

Rumors of the Day (August 30, 2020)

• 7:26 PM ET: The Padres are going all-in this year. After adding Jason Castro and Mitch Moreland earlier today, the team appears close to adding Mike Clevinger (Ryan Spaeder). Clevinger represents the best starting pitcher available. The Yankees were known to have checked in on him earlier this week.
• 6:07 PM ET: According to Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), the Yankees are “reluctant to add payroll for 2020, complicating their pursuits of pitching upgrades and their interest in Diamondbacks center fielder Starling Marte.” This makes it sound like the Bombers will have a quiet deadline day, because Cashman hates to overpay in prospects. Lame.
• 2:12 PM ET: The Yankees have checked in on Diamondbacks outfielder Starling Marte, says Joel Sherman. Sherman considers a trade for Marte similar to the Andrew McCutchen deal in 2018. Marte, 31, is hitting .322/.396/.458 with two home runs (132 wRC+) in 2020.
• 1:10 PM ET: Jon Heyman is reporting that there’s a consensus among teams that Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger “has a good chance to be dealt.” The price is reportedly very high, which matches earlier rumors floated around the ask for Clevinger. The Yankees are one of many teams that have checked in on Clevinger, so this is a situation to watch.
• 12:10 PM ET: According to Mark Feinsand, teams have asked for shortstop Francisco Lindor in early trade discussions. He reports that Cleveland has no urgency to move the superstar. A moonshot, sure, but it would be fun.
• 12:10 PM ET: Morosi reports that a Lance Lynn trade will likely go down tomorrow. There’s plenty of interest in the top-of-the-rotation starter. The Rangers could get a nice haul for the right-hander, as he’s signed through next year at an affordable $8 million.
• 12:10 PM ET: A pair of division rivals are getting active on the trade market. The Red Sox traded first baseman Mitch Moreland to the Padres, while the Rays moved José Martínez to the Cubs. Jeff Passan has the details on both trades.
• 10:30 AM ET: The Orioles sent veteran left-hander Tommy Milone to the Braves, per MLB’s Mark Bowman. It’s unclear what the Braves are sending in return. Milone owns a 3.99 ERA in six starts for the Orioles. The move could signal Baltimore’s interest in selling ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.
• 7:00 AM ET: Trade interest in Angels right-hander Dylan Bundy has picked up, says Jon Morosi. The Braves, Twins, and White Sox have reportedly scouted him. The Yankees know Bundy from his AL East days, and Cashman has a close relationship with Angels GM Billy Eppler.
• 7:00 AM ET: Brock Holt Hive disassemble. The utility infielder has signed on to the Washington Nationals, reports Jesse Dougherty. The Yankees’ need for Holt sort of evaporated after DJ LeMahieu came back and the club promoted Jordy Mercer.
• 7:00 AM ET: If you’re interested in a trade for Kevin Gausman, I may have bad news. The San Francisco Giants aren’t ready to sell off. In fact, they might even buy, notes Jon Heyman. You laugh, but even with Farhan Zaidi calling the shots, the Giants are hesitant to sell. They didn’t move Madison Bumgarner last summer, for example.

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