New York Yankees MLB Trade Rumors: Team's Offers for Michael Fulmer and Chris Archer Rejected
The New York Yankees are still looking to add a starting pitcher via the trade market this offseason, but they may have to improve their offer because teams don't seem to think it is good enough.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Bill Brink, the Yankees have put together trade packages for 2016 American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Michael Fulmer and two-time All-Star Chris Archer, but the offers were turned down by the Detroit Tigers and the Tampa Bay Rays, respectively.
Brink also noted that the Yankees have made a similar offer to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-hander Gerrit Cole.
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"Yankees top prospect Gleyber Torres was off limits in all three offers. The New York Post reported Friday that the next two prospects in their system, outfielder Estevan Florial and lefty Justus Sheffield, are also off the table. The offers, then, center around 23-year-old outfielder Clint Frazier and also include some combination of prospects: righty Chance Adams, infielder Tyler Wade, third baseman Miguel Andujar and shortstop Thairo Estrada," Brink wrote in his report.
Well, the offers were actually not that bad. However, they were clearly not good enough to seal the deal.
Fulmer is a young ace who is under team control for five more years, so he's obviously not going to come cheap. Aside from that, he also has a team-friendly contract.
In 25 starts last season, Fulmer went 10–12 with a 3.83 earned run average (ERA) and a 1.15 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP). He also had 114 strikeouts in 164.2 innings pitched.
Acquiring Archer is going to be difficult because the Rays and the Yankees play in the same division. The right-hander is under contract through the 2019 season with club options for 2020 and 2021.
Archer went 10–12 with a 4.07 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 34 games last season. He had 249 strikeouts across 201 innings.
As mentioned by Brink, Cole is the least expensive of the three.
