This will be a key offseason for the New York Yankees. Their humiliating loss to the Houston Astros exposed their biggest needs again, and losing Aaron Judge is something they simply cannot afford.
Brian Cashman needs to fix the mediocrity spiral he's gotten the team into. That means spending big and spending well, digging into the free agency pool to sign the best players available.
With that in mind, the Bronx Bombers are reportedly keeping tabs on a well-known neighbor. Apparently, they're checking in on Jacob deGrom, who's also being scouted by the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers.
MLB Rumors: Yankees Checking In On Jacob deGrom
"The Yankees have requested medical information on Jacob deGrom, according to SNY, though the report comes with the caveat that this doesn't necessarily mean the Yankees are going to pursue deGrom in free agency. It seems as though this is merely a due-diligence-type request," CBS reported.
"The Yankees' top priority this offseason remains bringing Aaron Judge back. Until then, they'll likely continue to work backup, contingency plans that they hope won't be needed," the report added.
Mets Could Pursue Justin Verlander
The Mets are confident in their ability to re-sign deGrom to a long-term deal sooner rather than later. However, Steve Cohen won't sleep on his laurels and is reportedly ready to pursue Justin Verlander as an alternative:
"As SNY first reported, the Mets are considering Justin Verlander as an alternative to deGrom," Andy Martino reported. "The Athletic reported on Sunday that Verlander met with the Mets via Zoom last week."
"Sources said that both that meeting and the one with free agent pitcher Kodai Senga went well -- but what else would we expect to hear? It’s not like people tend to turn over tables and storm out of these types of meetings. The conversations go 'well.' Anyway, the Mets are hopeful that deGrom will choose them, but of course have to explore alternatives," the report added.
It shouldn't take long before both Aaron Judge and Jacob deGrom announce their next destinations, although most people around MLB circles believe they'll wind up staying with their respective teams.
