Yankees-Carlos Correa rumors make no sense, but mystery move buzz heating up

Yankees fans were hit midday Friday by rumors of a “big move” from multiple corners of the Twitterverse. One insider speculating about something massive can be shrugged off. When the voice of the Yankees joins in? Something could genuinely be in the works.

For days, it’s seemed like the Yankees were genuinely in on left-hander Carlos Rodón. Amid a sea of falsehoods and leverage plays, Jack Curry’s repeated messages on the matter made it feel like the Yankees weren’t being used for once, and that Rodón was a real possibility to round out their rotation.

According to Brendan Kuty on Friday, the Yankees are hot after the left-hander, and the Big Apple is among the two-time All-Star’s preferred destinations; he’d rather pivot to the East Coast after a year in San Francisco. With reports pegging Rodón’s asking price in the $200 million range for seven years, landing him would certainly qualify as a large move from a team that has already committed $40 million annually to Aaron Judge.

We would’ve agreed as recently as a few hours ago, but the team seems to now be giving off an aura of a different color.

First came Buster Olney, who cited on a San Francisco radio spot Friday that he “know the Yankees are working on something big.” He then threw out Carlos Correa’s name as a piece of complete guesswork.

Fine. We shrugged it off. He admitted he made it up. Nothing to see here … or …?

Carlos Correa Rumors: What is Yankees’ mystery big move?

Olney didn’t move the needle here, necessarily. His take sounded hope-based more than anything, emanating from an innate desire for the Yankees to be their 08-09 selves rather than a team largely set to run it back this season in Judge’s wake.

Then came Michael Kay, though, who outright admitted on his radio show that, while the team is in on Rodón, they’re also working on “something even bigger.”

Outside of Correa, how much “bigger” stuff is out there for the taking?

In this market, Correa’s by far the largest remaining name. A Yankee killer (.310 with 11 homers in 37 regular-season games) with a penchant for postseason glory, he would immediately cement the Yankees as a reloaded team to beat in the American League.

They weren’t in on him last offseason on a shorter and cheaper deal, though, and now their prized shortstops Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe are one year closer (with Peraza having already arrived). What’s bigger than Rodón? A Bryan Reynolds trade featuring one of those two shortstops? A resulting Correa signing? Rodón with a bat? Fernando Tatis Jr.?!

Hate to get our hopes up, but we’re at least on guard.

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