Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila may not be interested in trading right-hander Michael Fulmer unless the right deal becomes available, but he is willing to listen and the New York Yankees could be a perfect match.
One day after officially acquiring National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins in a blockbuster trade, the Yankees have Fulmer and Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks on their radar in early talks, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports.
Avila made it clear to reporters, including George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press, that only a handful of teams have the prospect capital to acquire Fulmer, and although no serious trade conversations have emerged in regards to the 2016 American League Rookie of the Year, the Tigers would listen.
"If they really want to be aggressive, there’s a handful of teams that have the players to do it," Avila explained. "We have not even come close to those type of conversations. Everyone’s just kind of kicking around to see what the real interest is. Our basic message is ‘We’re not trying at this stage to trade him. That doesn’t mean we wouldn’t listen.'"
The Yankees boast an impressive crop of young players including Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, Chance Adams, Estevan Florial, Justus Sheffield, and Miguel Andujar, so they'd have plenty of options to choose from in a potential trade for Fulmer.
The Yankees interest in Fulmer is high, according to Sweeny Murti of WFAN, who names Adams and Sheffield as prospects in the mix.
Fulmer is still just 24 years old himself and has proven to be successful in his two big-league seasons, going 21-19 with a 3.45 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 51 starts.
He's under team control until 2023 and isn't eligible for arbitration for the first time until 2019.
The Texas Rangers have also inquired about the availability of Fulmer, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.
