MLB trade rumors: Rangers’ Cole Hamels or Blue Jays’ J.A. Happ to Yankees?

The non-waiver trade deadline in MLB is July 31, 2018 (7/31/18). Yankees general manager Brian Cashman needs a starting pitcher with injuries to Jordan Montgomery and Masahiro Tanaka. What would it cost for Cashman to get Texas Rangers ace Cole Hamels or Toronto Blue Jays southpaw J.A. Happ?

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The 2018 MLB season could feature one of the most fierce pennant races between the Red Sox and Yankees in the history of these two storied franchises.

Going into Tuesday’s action, the clubs are tied for first place in the American League East.

The Yankees have the best winning percentage in MLB (.681). The Red Sox have the most wins in the majors (49). Both teams can hit. Both teams can pitch. Both teams are on pace for 100-win seasons.

The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo imagined ways each club could gain an advantage down the stretch. Remember, while both the Sox and Yankees can make the playoffs, one would have to enter through the wild-card game. And in a one-game playoff, anything can happen. So the best chance of postseason success is by winning the division.

For the Yankees, Cafardo suggets a starting pitcher:

The Yankees could pursue a number of players.

There’s Texas lefty Cole Hamels. There’s Toronto lefty J.A. Happ. There’s San Diego righty Tyson Ross. Kansas City would deal lefty Danny Duffy, but he has a 5.55 ERA. It will be harder to get Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer (out with an abdomen strain), but he is out there for the taking. The Yankees might be able to secure a back-end starter like Detroit’s Francisco Liriano (on the DL with a hamstring strain). There’s Reds righty Matt Harvey, but he has yet to prove he can be a consistent starter in a pennant race.

Hamels and Happ make the most sense for New York.

Blake Snell to Yankees?

For the Red Sox, Cafardo suggests adding a bat and came up with this list of potential trade candidates for Boston: Manny Machado, Adam Jones, Mike Moustakas, Josh Donaldson, Adrian Beltre, Asdrubal Cabrera, Jed Lowrie and Josh Harrison.

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