Yankees inquire about Mets' aces, scouted Tigers' Fulmer

The New York Yankees have made it clear they're on the hunt for starting pitching with the trade deadline approaching, and general manager Brian Cashman appears to have a few specific targets on his radar.

Cashman admitted Thursday that he's been in discussion with the New York Mets about their aces Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, but the Yankees also sent a scout to watch Detroit Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer pitch against the Oakland Athletics, according to Ken Davidoff and George A. King III of the New York Post.

"I’ve been engaged with all clubs, including the Mets. It’s the job," Cashman told Davidoff and King while promoting an event in Manhattan. "And if you can ever match up, you make ownership recommendations on both ends and see if it takes you anywhere.

" ... I’ll stay engaged with the Mets as well as every other club and see where it takes us. I don’t think I’ll have any dialogue with the Boston Red Sox. I’ll take them off the call list. But other than that, we’ll be very busy trying to improve ourselves."

As the Mets continue to plummet further down the standings, they appear open to trading deGrom and Syndergaard if the price - which is apparently a hefty one - is right. The Yankees are better equipped than most to pull off such a deal, as their farm system is one of MLB's finest.

The Tigers have lost nine straight and are in the midst of a rebuild, so it's no surprise to see Fulmer's name in trade rumors.

This isn't the first time that the Yankees have been linked to Fulmer, either. They showed interest in the 25-year-old before the season began and the Tigers are reportedly willing to discuss him with clubs, although a rival executive recently told Jon Heyman of Fancred that Detroit is likely to keep him.

Since arriving in the big leagues, Fulmer has amassed a 24-25 record with a 3.60 ERA in 410 innings and was named the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year.