Report: Cubs, Yankees working on Chapman trade
Needing help in their bullpen with the trade deadline fast approaching, the Chicago Cubs are reportedly working on a deal with the New York Yankees that would send closer Aroldis Chapman to the North Side for a package that includes Gleyber Torres, the organization's top prospect, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports.
Though nothing has been finalized, it appears talks have intensified in the last 24 hours, as the Yankees were reportedly telling teams they were nearing a deal for Chapman on Saturday, with the Cubs "strong in the mix" for the four-time All-Star, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
"There's a lot of rumors and stuff out there right now. I don't have any information, but my agent did say that they're talking. But that's all I have," Chapman told reporters through an interpreter.
Torres, a 19-year-old Venezuela native currently assigned to High-A Myrtle Beach, was also scratched from Sunday's Carolina League game about 20 minutes before first pitch.
Other teams have been linked to Chapman, too, including the Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants, though Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reported Sunday morning that the National League West division leaders had been getting "radio silence" from Yankees general manager Brian Cashman.
Chapman, a free agent at season's end, spent the first 30 games of 2016 serving a suspension for a domestic incident, but has dazzled since making his Yankees debut two months ago, notching 20 saves in 21 chances while crafting a 2.01 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP and 36.7 percent strikeout rate in 31 appearances.
"We don't want to see him go," Yankees first Mark Teixeira told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "We're trying to win games. He's a big part of that. We want him here."
Torres, meanwhile, is widely considered the best prospect in the Cubs' organization - Baseball America, MLB.com, and Baseball Prospectus all slotted him at No. 1 coming into 2016 - and the Yankees, according to ESPN's Buster Olney, love the toolsy teenager. Lauded for his plus hitting ability, defensive skills, and arm strength, Torres is hitting .275/.359/.433 with nine homers and 19 stolen bases through 94 games with Myrtle Beach, where he is 3 1/2 years younger, on average, than the rest of the league.