The MLB trade deadline isn't until Aug. 1, but there is already plenty of chatter going around.
One team that is sure to be very busy is the Yankees, though reports have surfaced that general manager Brian Cashman isn't sure whether his team will be buyers or sellers come the deadline.
With talks increasing, it seems the Yankees are willing to part with a huge piece of their present team to build toward the future by acquiring a slugger that could improve their lineup.
The Yankees are in need of a lineup shakeup and the Cubs are looking for bullpen help, and it appears there could be a potential deal in the works to help each other out. New York reportedly is willing to trade one or both of its back-end bullpen pieces, Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, to Chicago for injured slugger Kyle Schwarber, according to Yahoo Sports.
The Bronx Bombers brought in Chapman to pair with Miller and Dellin Betances and form a three-headed monster in the back of the bullpen, but the club's all-around ineffectiveness hasn't given the trio much to work with. The Yankees enter Tuesday with a 46-46 mark, leaving them 7.5 games out of the divison and five games out of the Wild Card with several teams to jump.
Given the struggles in New York this year, Miller or Chapman could be on the move, but it's possible they'd have to trade both to acquire Schwarber, whom the Cubs appear intent on holding onto. Chicago has expressed no interest in dealing the lefty slugger in the past, but things could change with the deadline still a few weeks away.
Schwarber is not a strong defensive player and was exposed as lackluster in the field during the Cubs' NLCS sweep at the hands of the Mets last October. He's also out for the season with a torn ACL and LCL in his left knee, which he sustained in April.
With Schwarber's defensive shortcomings, he could make a perfect DH in the American League. The Yankees' current DH, Alex Rodriguez, is batting just .216 on the season and the club has started giving him practice at first base due to his struggles.
The Cubs, meanwhile, need bullpen help as outside of setup man Pedro Strop (3.12 ERA) and closer Hector Rondon (1.64), the group has struggled. Chicago(56-36) enters Tuesday with an eight-game lead in the NL Central.
Schwarber, 23, hit 16 homers last season for Chicago, but he could only improve on those numbers with the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
Miller, 31, has been a force this season, going 5-1 with a 1.31 ERA and 70 strikeouts, while Chapman, 28, has attempted to put his off-field domestic violence incident behind him and has pitched to a 3-0 record with a 2.22 ERA and 40 strikeouts. Chapman reached 105 mph on the radar gun in Monday's win over the Orioles.
