The MLB trade deadline is quickly approaching and big names are still lingering on the market. With most marquee pitchers off the board, several closers remain for teams looking to beef up their rotation for the postseason. The New York Yankees continue to toy with the idea of another addition as injuries begin to pile up and Aroldis Chapman is now the main target.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees are making an aggressive push to acquire Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds before the deadline. The Yankees have been linked to closers for much of the trading period despite not having a great need for one. Andrew Miller has returned healthy and is proving to be doing a quality job in the role, but the idea of adding someone like Chapman is enticing for the Yankees who have starting pitching issues.
ESPN's Andrew Marchand, the Yankees have sent Michael Pineda down to the 15-day disabled list. That leaves them with a potentially injured Ivan Nova, an inconsistent CC Sabathia, Nathan Eovaldi and Masahiro Tanaka. For an in-house fix, the Yankees are expected to use Adam Warren in the spot who posted a 5-5 record and 3.59 ERA as a starter earlier in the season. However, that leaves a hole in the bullpen which is where the Chapman interest comes into play.
According to Jayson Stark of ESPN.com, the Yankees have been in talks with the San Diego Padres about a deal for Craig Kimbrel, but it would appear they might be losing that battle based on how high the asking price is for the pitcher. MLB Insider Jeff Passan is reporting that the Houston Astros are making a heavy push for Kimbrel now in a marquee deal that would involve the closer and starter Tyson Ross. San Diego is selling at the deadline as they aim to dump heavy contracts. Kimbrel certainly fits that bill.
The Yankees appear more content with trading for a closer rather than a starter if they can simply move Warren up into the rotation. However, with Sabathia and Nova struggling, getting a quality arm might not be the worst idea the team could have. It remains to be seen if New York will actually pull the trigger on this trade or not.