Yankees Have Contacted Miami Marlins on Jose Fernandez

Perhaps the biggest name being discussed at the MLB Winter Meetings isn’t Johnny Cueto, Jason Heyward or Ben Zobrist.

Instead, it’s Miami Marlins star pitcher Jose Fernandez.

Now prior to the official start of the MLB Winter Meetings, Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said that Jose Fernandez wouldn’t be traded, and that there was no truth to the rumors and speculation that he would be dealt out of frustration of not getting a contract extension done.

However, ever since the meetings began down in Nashville, there has been nothing but credible sources reporting that the Marlins are in fact willing to deal their 23-year old All-Star pitcher.

And now, according to MLB Insider Jayson Stark, the New York Yankees have contacted the Marlins to touch base on Jose Fernandez.

The Yankees biggest need is controllable starting pitching, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Jose Fernandez in pinstripes is a match made in happen. Not only is he just 23-years old and would remain under team control until 2019, but he is also one of the best young pitchers in all of baseball.

Obviously the Marlins would only part ways with Fernandez if a deal is almost too good to be true.

For example, according to Ken Rosenthal, the Diamondbacks inquired on Fernandez, and in return the Marlins wanted 26-year old southpaw Patrick Corbin and then some.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo sports also confirmed that the Marlins asked the Dodgers for their top two prospects – Corey Seager and Julio Urias in exchange for Jose Fernandez.

When you look at the starting asking price for Jose Fernandez, clearly the Marlins are looking to score an overwhelming return for their star, and while I firmly believe the Yankees should hang on to Luis Severino and Gregory Bird, I still believe the Yankees have enough to land Fernandez, but it’ll just be a matter of whether or not they wan’t to give it all up for the 23-year old right hander.

The prize of my Yankees trade package would feature the towering 6’foot 7″ 23-year old Aaron Judge, who has drawn major league comparison to Giancarlo Stanton. Now imagine the Marlins have Giancarlo and his clone in the same lineup? That would be devastating to opposing pitchers and they have the potential to mimic a lineup as potent as the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays for years to come.

In addition to Judge, the Marlins are looking for major league ready talent that can help them win in 2016. That said, I would offer them Andrew Miller and a portion of his contract. In addition to Judge and Andrew Miller, the Yankees can offer a slew of lower level minor leaguers including Miguel Adujar and one of Brady Lail, Kyle Holder or Rookie Davis.

I wouldn’t offer the Marlins much more than that. Keep in mind Jose Fernandez is coming off tommy john surgery and if the Yankees want to keep all their prospects they can wait until 2019 when Fernandez is a free-agent at 27-years old to try to pursue him.

Obviously this is a steep price to trade, but Fernandez is a special ball player. Adding him to their rotation now would give the Yankees a top three of Severino, Fernandez and Masahiro Tanaka with Michael Pineda and Nathan Eovaldi as their back-end starters. Ivan Nova, Adam Warren and CC Sabathia would all add valued rotation depth as both Severino and Fernandez are likely to be on an innings limit while the Yankees will nurse Tanaka and his elbow tear every time he takes the hill.

What do you think Yankees fans? Let us know in the comments below.

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