This is one of those reports from which you can glean some info, but you also have to regard with a bit of the side eye:
yanks have no deals yet ready to do. cubs have great farm but to date their offers for miller/chapman r said not among best
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 18, 2016
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On the one hand, it’s interesting to see that the Yankees are apparently already receiving multiple offers on their relievers, including by the Cubs. And, since we know that the Cubs are not keen on including Kyle Schwarber (whom the Yankees apparently love), it’s not surprising to see that the Cubs’ offers might not be at the top of the market, from the Yankees’ perspective.
On the other hand, the Cubs, specifically, get name-checked? And are told through the media that their offers are not good enough? That’s awfully convenient for the Yankees, isn’t it?
I don’t think it’s too conspiratorial to read that tweet as the Yankees wanting the Cubs to know – and the baseball world to know that they’re letting the Cubs know – that there are formulations of a trade that the Cubs could put together for Andrew Miller and/or Aroldis Chapman, but they aren’t quite getting to where the Yankees want. Even without Schwarber involved, the Cubs have the pieces necessary to put together a competitive offer for Miller and/or Chapman. Of that, I have no doubt.
But, then, it’s worth remembering: the Cubs aren’t the only game in town. Even as they’re perhaps the most newsworthy team to be chasing a Yankees arm, there are other contenders who could stand to add an impact reliever. Maybe those offer(s) really are that good.
This is going to be a crazy two weeks. Heck, the Yankees technically haven’t even decided to sell yet …
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