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Yankees emerging as top contenders for Soto; Severino relocates; Bellinger’s free agent profile; Teams eyeing Clarke Schmidt; Hader as a potential Yankee target.
SNY | Andy Martino: Talks between the Yankees and Padres over a potential Juan Soto swap are intensifying, with the two teams exchanging names for a prospective package. The two sides are not close, with the Yankees rejecting San Diego’s ask of a top tier prospect in the Anthony Volpe/Jasson Domínguez bracket as well as a major league starting pitcher like Michael King or Clarke Schmidt. If the two sides eventually reach an agreement, there is the understanding that Soto would not be signing an extension, so he’d come as a one-year rental.
MLB.com | Mike Petriello: Petriello looks at Soto in three stages, first providing the historical company the Padres slugger has placed himself in, then attempting to find a comp for a potential trade before concluding with the five teams most likely to land the superstar. Petriello lists the trades of Jason Heyward, Mookie Betts, and Francisco Lindor as imperfect precedents for what it could take to land Soto. Finally, he arrives at the Yankees as the best fit in terms of need.
MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: Luis Severino has a new team for 2024, signing a one-year, $13 million deal with the Mets. Sevy moves across town after a disastrous platform year which saw him pitch to a 6.65 ERA and -0.6 fWAR in 19 appearances totaling 89.1 innings. Here’s wishing one of the fan favorites of the Baby Bomber era good luck and full health in this fresh start with the crosstown rivals.
MLB.com | Mark Feinsand: Feinsand provides a shallow dive into Cody Bellinger’s free agent profile before listing the teams most likely to land the NL Comeback Player of the Year. He notes the lefty slugger’s resurgence in traditional stats though fails to make mention of the troubling underlying metrics (hard-hit rate, barrel rate) that many other publications have identified as giving teams pause. He concludes that the Yankees are Bellinger’s most likely landing spot given the lack of offensive production projected from two of three outfield spots.
NJ Advance Media | Manuel Gómez: As the Soto rumors start to boil, various writers have attempted to project the players San Diego could desire in a potential swap. Gómez relays a report from The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, who speculates that Clarke Schmidt has become one of the Yankees’ most intriguing trade chips. The 2017 first round pick established himself as a viable back-end starter in the majors, pitching to a 4.64 ERA and 1.8 fWAR in 33 appearances totaling 159 innings and isn’t scheduled to hit free agency until after the 2027 season, providing any potential acquiring club with four years of team control.
MLB.com | Mark Feinsand: Just as he did with Bellinger, Feinsand provides a free agent profile on Josh Hader, easily the best closer on the market. Hader is coming off another elite season, pitching to a 1.28 ERA with 33 saves and 85 strikeouts across 61 appearances and figures to cash in big, with Feinsand holding up Edwin Díaz’s record six-year, $102 million pact from last winter as a bar Hader could exceed. He puzzlingly lists the Yankees as one of the possible landing spots despite their recent move away from tying up a significant portion of the payroll in the bullpen, citing Michael King’s move to the rotation as impetus for them to shop at the top of the reliever market.
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