Yankees Rumors: Tigers like Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade

With a Tigers scout in attendance to watch the Yankees take on the Indians on Thursday night, George A. King III of the New York Post reports Detroit is interested in both Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade in exchange for Michael Fulmer.

Sometimes we forget that the Yankees have assembled a 61-32 record, all the while losing their No. 5 starter Jordan Montgomery to Tommy John surgery and Masahiro Tanaka to two strained hamstrings.

The Yanks have plug and played one young starter after the other this season; namely Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga and Luis Cessa. And despite inconsistent performances from Sonny Gray, Chasen Shreve and Tommy Kahnle, the Bombers still boast a .656 winning percentage, trailing only the Red Sox as the best team in baseball.

It’s clear to see that the Yankees’ players, coaches and front office deserve a lot of credit for succeeding against increasingly difficult odds during the first half of the 2018 season. However, with the Sox winning at record-pace, it’s inevitable that the Yanks add an arm to bolster the rotation.

While we wait to see if it is of the starting or reliving variety, George A. King III of the New York Post reports that the Tigers could be inclined to deal 25-year-old right-hander Michael Fulmer to the Yanks for a package of prospects revolving around Clint Frazier and Tyler Wade.

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With both Frazier and Wade currently blocked by other, more established big leaguers, the makings of a deal could come together. Katie Strang of The Atheltic believes that the Tigers want an “impact bat” in return, and have held an interest in the 23-year-old Frazier since trade rumors first circulated about Fulmer last offseason.

Marc Carig, also from The Athletic, indicates that the Tigers have placed a high asking price on the former 2016 AL Rookie of the Year, so it remains to be seen who else the Yankees would need to add to a potential trade package.

The thing with Fulmer is that he’s having a down year, which may have something to do with the elbow issues that plagued him during Spring Training; 3-8 with a 4.11 ERA, 1.267 WHIP and 3.0 BB/9 across 107.1 innings pitched.

So for the Yanks, you’d essentially be trading potential for potential. As King noted:

Fulmer isn’t an ace, but could fit in between Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka or turn Domingo German into a long reliever.

General manager Brian Cashman would be taking a gamble on a career 24-27 starter, what with his 3.61 ERA, 1.169 WHIP, 7.0 SO/9 and 8.1 H/9 in 431 innings pitched.

Next: Is Sonny Gray a trade candidate?

While it’s never a bad idea to buy low on a starter that has “ace-like stuff,” one that is under club control until after the 2022 season, Cashman needs to be sure Fulmer and his 1.7 WAR this season will aide his current staff and not add yet another question mark.