Yankees 2020 Trade Deadline Rumors: Yankees stand pat amid “risky marketplace”

Today’s the day. Teams have until 4 PM ET to finalize trades. After that, they’re stuck with their in-house player pool for reinforcements down the stretch. The Padres seemingly jump-started the market yesterday, as plenty of rumors leaked out during the day. Expect a number of deals to come together in the next few hours. We’ll keep track of the rumors here, then write up any significant Yankees news (an actual trade) in separate posts. Hang tight, everyone!

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 31, 2020)

• 4:25 PM ET: The dust has settled, and it looks like the Yankees are standing pat. Jack Curry reports the team was engaged in a number of conversations that didn’t yield any actual deals. Brian Cashman called this deadline a “risky marketplace” over the weekend, and in that context, the Yankees decided to roll with what they’ve got.
• 3:50 PM ET: Brendan Kuty of NJ.com writes that the Yankees have “nothing really close” as the deadline nears. It sounds like the Yankees mostly gave up hope of acquiring a starter around 3 PM, and pivoted towards focusing on relief pitching and bats. We’ll see if anything happens in the final minutes.
• 3:20 PM ET: Jon Heyman reports the Yankees have remained engaged on Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, and Lance Lynn, but that there isn’t much traction at the moment with less than an hour to go. Heyman seems to note that Gausman is the most likely to stay put.
• 2:57 PM ET: So much for a Marte Partay. Craig Mish says that the Marlins are on the verge of landing the outfielder from Arizona. Maybe the Yankees really aren’t going to add payroll or move prospects.
• 2:25 PM ET: The market for Starling Marte is heating up, as the Diamondbacks say they will not pick up his $12.5 million option for 2021 (Joel Sherman). The best offer gets him. The Yankees, Marlins, and Twins are the leading candidates for the center fielder.
• 2:25 PM ET: The Blue Jays continue to add to their starting rotation. They acquired Robbie Ray from the Diamondbacks, reports Rob Longley. The Yankees kicked the tires on Ray last summer, but he has completely lost the strike zone in 2020.
• 2:00 PM ET: Heyman reports that the Yankees have checked in on Kevin Gausman, and that while the Giants aren’t necessarily sellers they have some depth and could make a move. Gausman wouldn’t be the biggest upgrade available even with the likes of Clevinger and Minor gone, but he also shouldn’t be too expensive to get.
• 1:35 PM ET: Joel Sherman quickly rebuts the idea of moving Garcia, stating that the Yankees have “no appetite” to trade Garcia. There’s no such thing as a pitching prospect, but it’s understandable that the Yankees want to see more of Garcia and are reluctant to move him.
• 1:27 PM ET: Related to a potential Lynn trade, the Rangers reportedly would love Deivi García, T.R. Sullivan says. He acknowledges that García, who dazzled in his big-league debut yesterday, is likely out of the question.
• 1:05 PM ET: Clevinger may be off the board, but Jon Morosi reports that the Yankees are still involved on Lance Lynn. The 33-year-old has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this year, running a 1.93 ERA in a league-leading 51.1 innings.
• 11:15 AM ET: ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that the Padres will acquire Mike Clevinger. This takes a big pitching target off the table for the Yankees, as AJ Preller and the Padres continue to make a mighty deadline push. Ken Rosenthal reports the complete deal as Clevinger, Greg Allen, and a player-to-be-named later for Cal Quantrill, Gabriel Arias, Joey Cantillo, Austin Hedges, Josh Naylor, and Owen Miller. Yowza!
• 10:48 AM ET: Andy Martino is reporting that while Brian Cashman is engaged in the marketplace, prices are ‘exorbitant.’ He compares it to last summer, when the Yankees ultimately stood pat at the deadline.
• 10:48 AM ET: Don’t get your hopes on a Hader trade. Heyman says that the Brewers are likely to hang on to him.
• 10:48 AM ET: According to Joe Frisaro, the Yankees are among the teams to inquire on Jonathan Villar. Miami is looking for bullpen help in return, and the Yankees have spare arms out the ying-yang.
• 10:00 AM ET: USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the Yankees are among the leaders for Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger. He also lists the Padres, White Sox, and Blue Jays as in on the right-hander.
• 8:00 AM ET: The Yankees have engaged the Brewers in trade talks over relief ace Josh Hader, says Jon Heyman. A significant gap appears between the two teams, however, the kind that is tough to bridge in a single day. He adds that same goes for Cleveland’s frontline starter Mike Clevinger, who may or may not be dealt by the time this post runs.
• 8:00 AM ET: More from Heyman, the Yankees like Starling Marte, and they might even expand the package with Arizona to include a pitcher such as Robbie Ray or Archie Bradley. Interesting!

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