Pittsburgh Pirates Wake Up Call: Yankees moving on?

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

Fan Rag’s Jon Heyman is reporting that the New York Yankees are interested in Yu Darvis, suggesting that talks between the Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates for Gerrit Cole have cooled. Heyman writes:

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The Yankees are intent on adding a fine starting pitcher and have had trade discussions regarding Gerrit Cole, Chris Archer and Michael Fulmer, and are looking at free agent Alex Cobb, and possibly some others. Cole is probably the most likely fit in terms of a trade, as Fulmer is coming off an injury and Archer plays on the division rival Rays, but word is, there’s been little progress since the Winter Meetings in talks with Pittsburgh.[/perfectpullquote]

The report isn’t exactly shocking. Despite some serious steam filling both team’s heads going into the Christmas holiday, talks have slowed considerably. Perhaps the Pittsburgh Pirates were asking for too much. Perhaps the Yankees are more comfortable paying more in actual dollars for starting pitcher help rather than paying the prospect cost.

From the Yankees perspective, it might actually make more sense to go after Darvish. If the price is right, New York could conceivably pay just a little more than they would be paying Cole, and gain more years of control. The team could then spin Clint Frazier to stock an already very healthy farm system, or for some third base help.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, on the other hand, are now faced with a very tough decision. Having already gone this far down the trade road with Cole, the club might have tipped its hand as to the plan for 2018 and beyond. Now, if talks are truly close to dead with the Yanks, Pittsburgh will be forced to go back to teams with targets they are not as keen on as they were with New York.

Or, talks could reignite and we all may be in for another round of Hot Stove foreplay. Stranger things have happened.

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