ORLANDO, Fla. _ A day after Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila said the team would listen to offers on right-hander Michael Fulmer, a couple of suitors have emerged.
And at least one of those suitors figures to have the prospects to make the Tigers a deal they cannot refuse.
The Yankees have checked in on Fulmer, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. So, too, have the Rangers, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News, but without a strong farm system, their involvement appears to be minimal.
It's unclear how far the talks with the Yankees have advanced, if at all, but the Tigers, to no surprise, are searching for multiple top-level prospects, according to an AL executive.
On Monday afternoon at the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings, Avila said the Tigers had received "mild inquiries" about Fulmer this offseason but stressed the team was not proactively trying to trade him.
"If they really want to be aggressive, there's a handful of teams that have the players to do it," Avila said. "We have not even come close to those types 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."
Fulmer, 24, has performed like a front-line pitcher in his first two seasons but he is rehabilitating from ulnar nerve transposition surgery. Fulmer is scheduled to begin a throwing program this week in Lakeland, Fla., and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training. In 2017, Fulmer was an American League All-Star. In 2016, he was the AL rookie of the year.
Fulmer will command a hefty prospect package, one that not many teams can afford to part with. The Yankees, however, have upper-echelon prospects and appear motivated to add another starting pitcher this offseason.
Clint Frazier, a highly-regarded young outfielder, has been moved out of the team's everyday rotation with the recent acquisition of slugger Giancarlo Stanton. The team's top two prospects, middle infielder Gleyber Torres and outfielder Estevan Florial, are thought to be untouchable for trades but certainly should be considered for a pitcher like Fulmer.
Fulmer is not only attractive because of his ability but he is also under team control for the next four seasons.
The Yankees also have prospect starting pitchers Justus Sheffield, 21, and Chance Adams, 23, at their disposal, but the Tigers _ who are embarking on what will be a lengthy rebuilding process _ might want younger, more upside-laden players in a Fulmer deal.
