King: Cubs Scouting Yankees Relievers

Yet another National League contender has been linked to the Yankees’ Big Three, as George A. King III of the New York Post reported Saturday that the Chicago Cubs sent scout Jason Parks to look at the team’s trio of late inning relievers.

The Yankees, who have been hovering around .500 for much of the season and are on the fringes of contention, are reportedly in no hurry to sell, but that hasn’t stopped other clubs from sniffing around. The Giants and Nationals have both made their interest in Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller public in recent weeks, and the Cubs were previously said to have had preliminary talks with New York about starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi.

With their wealth of young, major league ready talent, the Cubs have plenty to offer the Yankees if Brian Cashman and Co. do decide to sell. Joel Sherman recently reported that Chicago wouldn’t do a Kyle Schwarber-for-Miller deal, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t move him if the pot were sweetened.

Related Story: Will the Yankees Commit to Selling?

Brett Gardner has long seemed like a nice fit for the Cubs roster, and the team could even consider packaging Chapman or Betances with Miller to land truly elite young talent in return. Jorge Soler and Javier Baez have both looked like future Yankees for over a year now. It’s just a matter of time before the two teams find the right deal.

Even if the Yankees remain contenders into July, this feels like the type of deal they should be making. While a complete tear down isn’t necessary, Chapman especially is not a player they are going to be building around. He is a nice player to have this year, but obtaining a potential stud everyday player or controllable starter is not a chance the Yankees can afford to waste if they are truly committed to getting younger.