The Yankees have been uncharacteristically quiet this offseason, but are still in the mix to make a few more moves this winter. Here's the latest on the Bronx Bombers:
HECTOR OLIVERA
Per Craig Calcaterra of NBC’s Hardball Talk, Ben Badler of Baseball America reports that the Athletics, Padres, Yankees and Nationals are all players for Cuban second baseman Hector Olivera.
Olivera, 29, defected back in September. He has currently yet to be cleared by the U.S. government, so there’s no exact word on when he’ll be available to sign.
Per Calcatera, he “also has some health concerns, having missed considerable playing time with thrombosis in his left biceps, keeping him out of international competition.”
In club play this past season, Olivera posted a .316 batting average with an .886 OPS and walked more than he struck out. His bat makes him an intriguing option for those willing to take a gamble on his current age and health history.
MAX SCHERZER
According to WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford, the Red Sox and their recent interest in Scherzer might all be an elaborate ploy…one designed to get the Yankees to ramp up their pursuit of Scherzer. New York will no doubt be one of the top bidders for any free agent pitcher, and having their financial muscle as a known quantity in the market would definitely get other teams to step their respective games up as well.
Jon Morosi of Fox Sports also believes the Yankees are still in on Scherzer, and Jon Heyman over at CBS agrees.
OTHER NOTES
Now that Asdrubal Cabrera has signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, the Yankees will likely pursue Stephen Drew or Rickie Weeks to fill their void at second base if they can't land Olivera.
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