New York Yankees Trade Rumors: Report Linking Team To Jose Quintana And David Robertson Addressed
New York Yankees trade rumors suddenly linked Jose Quintana and David Robertson to the team again on Tuesday (December 27). The rumors stated that a blockbuster trade was in the works that would send the Yankees one of the top starting pitchers and an All-Star relief pitcher in the same deal. A report by MLB analyst Joel Sherman has thrown a lot of cold water on the situation, as it refutes the earlier Yankees rumors while providing some bad news for fans hoping a huge payroll increase was also coming.
Sherman states that he checked “with few folks” from the Yankees and that there are no negotiations taking place to acquire Quintana and Robertson from the Chicago White Sox. There are two ways to read this information, with the first being that the earlier Yankees rumors have been entirely refuted by another MLB analyst. The second way is for a hopeful Yankees fan to view this as the team not trying for both players, but leaving open the possibility that the Yankees still do want Quintana by himself.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, this isn’t the first time that there have been huge New York Yankees trade rumors linking the team to the Chicago White Sox. Those rumors linked the franchise to a three-team deal that also included the Pittsburgh Pirates, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman hasn’t indicated that a deal like it would even be affordable. The Yankees already added payroll by signing free agent outfielder Matt Holliday and re-signing closer Aroldis Chapman to the biggest contract a closer has received in Major League Baseball.
Another report by Sherman states that the team wouldn’t be able to add any significant contracts to the payroll unless Chase Headley or Brett Gardner were to also be dealt. Dealing one of the veteran players could certainly open up that space on the payroll, but a team hasn’t surfaced that has been willing to pay their full salaries. The only situations that have come up in previous New York Yankees trade rumors indicated that the teams receiving Headley or Gardner would want some of their salaries paid for by Cashman.
If the Yankees are done adding pieces to the bullpen, then the team might already have one of the best groups in baseball to close out games. The Yankees still have Tyler Clippard and Dellin Betances to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, with Aroldis Chapman back to take the ball in the ninth inning. That doesn’t even include Adam Warren, who could be used when one of the big three pitchers are getting a day off. It’s unclear how David Robertson, no matter how talented he is, would fit into the rotation.
The Chicago White Sox are certainly pushing hard to trade Robertson and Jose Quintana during the MLB offseason, but they don’t really need the Yankees to participate in order to pull off a deal. There are a number of other suitors who have been linked to an interest in Quintana, including the Seattle Mariners, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros. Nearly every MLB analyst is stating that the White Sox will find a good group of prospects for Quintana, so the franchise doesn’t need to “settle” for a deal with the Yankees.
Brian Cashman has already done a good job adding pieces during the MLB offseason, easily making the team contenders for the 2017 MLB Playoffs. How well the veteran additions mix with the great core of young players will be determined when Spring Training finally rolls around. The team could certainly use another starting pitcher but don’t want to overpay to acquire one. That could be addressed if the team is still in contention around the All-Star break, where the typical New York Yankees trade rumors will again surface around MLB.
[Featured Image by Rich Schultz/Getty Images]
