MLB rumors: Yankees face new bidder for Nathan Eovaldi, J.A. Happ

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wants to sign at least one more two more starting pitchers. Among the players on the open market are Boston Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, and left-handers J.A. Happ, Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is hunting the free agent pitching market, in the hopes of signing one or two more arms to add to the rotation for 2019.

That means looking at a list of players which includes Boston Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi and left-hander J.A. Happ, who Cashman acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays before the 2018 non-waiver trade deadline.

If Cashman is serious about trying to sign either pitcher, he will face some competition from the west coast.

Per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi:

Sources: #Angels active in the market for both starters and relievers and have shown interest in free agents Nathan Eovaldi and J.A. Happ, although it’s not clear if they have a strong chance to sign either of them. @MLBNetwork @MLB

9 starting pitching options

MLB.com reports Angels general manager Billy Eppler, the former assistant general manager of the Yankees, wants to add “reliability” on the pitching staff:

The Angels were in the middle of the pack in ERA among American League rotations, with the seventh-best ERA in the Junior Circuit, but the 805 1/3 innings pitched by Angels starters were the lowest in the AL (among non-Tampa Bay teams), and they lose Garrett Richards to free agency and Shohei Ohtani‘s pitching arm to Tommy John surgery in 2019. Given the relative youth and inexperience of their starting rotation, the Halos could use a steadying influence like Eovaldi or Happ to anchor the group.

But Eovaldi is one of the biggest names on the market after his successful second half in Boston and postseason heroics, with the Red Sox, Yankees, Giants and Nationals among the teams thought to be interested in the hard-throwing 28-year-old. As for the veteran Happ, the Yankees are reportedly interested in a reunion, with additional interest from at least five other teams, according to Morosi — including the Astros, Brewers and Phillies.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.