New York Yankees Trade Rumors: Craig Kimbrel Trade Offer Rejected By Yankees

New York Yankees trade rumors reveal a Craig Kimbrel offer was rejected. New Yankees rumors have the team being offered Kimbrel by the San Diego Padres for a package of players that included shortstop Jorge Mateo. Mateo is one of the top prospects in the Minor League system for the Yankees, and someone general manager Brian Cashman said he didn’t want to part with. A report from CBS Sports on Wednesday (July 29) confirms that the Yankees felt the Padres were asking for too much.

The two teams had been deep into discussions because the Yankees offered to pay Kimbrel’s full contract. He has guaranteed salaries of $28 million through the 2017 MLB season, making him a pretty expensive acquisition for other franchises. It’s one main reason that the Padres are trying to unload him less than a season after acquiring Kimbrel from the Atlanta Braves. With the willingness to pay Kimbrel’s salary, it seems Cashman is far less likely to give up a top prospect.

These New York Yankees trade rumors might not make a lot of sense to fans, as the Yankees have one of the better bullpens in Major League Baseball. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, coming into Spring Training the team had Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances battling it out to take over for David Robertson in the bullpen. It was almost an embarrassment of riches, with both Miller and Betances performing well as the closer this season. Adding Kimbrel might give the Yankees an unhittable threesome from the seventh inning on.

So far this season, Craig Kimbrel has a 2.75 ERA, 1.119 WHIP, and 55 strikeouts over 39 1/3 innings of work. He has converted 29-of-30 saves, again ranking him among the best closers in MLB. The previous four seasons Kimbrel led the National League in saves, and it seemed like he could possibly do it again in 2015. If he stays with the San Diego Padres it might just happen, especially with all the close games that the team continues to play. Falling out of the playoff picture has the front office scrambling to dump salary though.

If the Padres lower the asking price for Kimbrel, it seems possible that a deal could still take place. If not, then the Toronto Blue Jay and Houston Astros (both teams have shown interest) might have a better shot at getting a lockdown closer. These New York Yankees trade rumors will likely garner more faith from fans of the team, as it proved he wants to keep building up a good system of talent.

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