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Yankees, Cubs, Mariners among teams that also pursued Cecil

Joe Nicholson / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Brett Cecil wasn't short of options by the time he hit free agency.

The left-hander, who has spent his entire eight-year career so far with the Toronto Blue Jays, inked a four-year, $30.5-million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals this week.

Before signing, though, the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, and Seattle Mariners were among the teams going after the reliever, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

The Yankees are attempting to get power lefty Aroldis Chapman back after dealing him at the 2016 trade deadline, but remained engaged with Cecil right up until he signed with the Cardinals.

It's unclear how involved the other two teams were, though the report states the Cardinals were aware the Cubs wanted Cecil, which is likely why they moved quick in signing him.

Last season, Cecil owned a 3.93 ERA in 54 appearances out of the bullpen. He's held left-handed hitters to a .258/.310/.364 slash line and just two home runs over his entire career.

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