Hot Stove Digest: Nationals have entered the mix for Aroldis Chapman
Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.
NATS IN THE MIX: The Yankees aren’t alone in their pursuit of Chapman. The Washington Nationals are now believed to be in the mix after making a run for his services at the trade deadline. The Yankees ended up sending Chapman to the Chicago Cubs for several prospects, while Washington acquired Mark Melancon from Pittsburgh. Both closers performed well down the stretch and are about to cash in as free agents. [Boston Globe]
BULLPEN HELP: Speaking of the Yankees, they are reportedly in play on several notable free-agent relievers. Their interest in bringing back Aroldis Chapman has been well established. They were also in on veteran reliever Brett Cecil, who ultimately signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s believed New York wants to add two relievers, regardless of whether or not they land Chapman. [New York Post]
NEGOTIATIONS: Union leaders and MLB negotiators will be back at the bargaining table Sunday with five days left before the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. Notable progress was reportedly made this week, and there’s growing optimism they’ll be able to close the deal after MLB offered to remove the current system of draft pick forfeiture associated with the qualifying offers. [FanRag Sports]
WATCHING CLOSELY: One team that’s very curious about the CBA negotiations is the New York Yankees. As general manager Brian Cashman noted this week, he feels the Yankees have been “crippled” by some of the rules in the most recent CBA, particularly when it comes to spending internationally. [New York Post]
FOWLER REPLACEMENT?: With free-agent outfielder Dexter Fowler expected to move on this winter, the Chicago Cubs are looking for appealing replacements. One name floating around is that of Charlie Blackmon, who actually replaced Fowler as the Colorado Rockies starting center fielder and went on to become a star in his own right. [Chicago Now]
Over the last three seasons, Blackmon is a 299/.354/.480 hitter who’s averaged 22 homers, 31 doubles, six triples, 29 steals and 71 RBIs. Yes, there’s the Coors Field factor, but Blackmon is a respectable .261 career hitter on the road and has the same number of home runs (37) away from Coors Field as he does at home. He’s also a .296 career hitter against left-handed pitching, which only adds to his appeal.
JAPAN BOUND: Former Dodgers Alex Guerrero is close to a contract agreement with the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. The feeling is he’ll try to rebuild after failing to live up to his $28M contract with Los Angeles. [Inside The Dodgers]
QUICK FIX: Not every signing will be a long-term solution, and not every team is looking for one. Here’s a look at the best stopgap options who are likely to get one or two-year deals. [MLB.com]
DEFIANCE: In wake of the death of former Cuban president Fidel Castro, here’s a look at many of the great Cuban players who defied his power to achieve their dreams in MLB. [Sporting News]
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
