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MLB Rumors: New York Yankees trying to trade Ivan Nova

By Brad Weiss

Jul 18, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; (EDITORS NOTE: Caption Correction) New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova (47) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 18, 2016; Bronx, NY, USA; (EDITORS NOTE: Caption Correction) New York Yankees starting pitcher Ivan Nova (47) pitches against the Baltimore Orioles during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Yankees traded closer Aroldis Chapman on Monday, and now a report says the team plans to move starter Ivan Nova next.

Ivan Nova will hit free agency at the end of this season, and the New York Yankees are apparently trying to make sure they get something for him before the trade deadline. Now that closer Aroldis Chapman is gone, having been traded to the Chicago Cubs on Monday, the Yankees will now shift their focus to the right-hander.

“They’re focused on him,” a source said via the New York Daily News. “They’re looking at the guys with expiring contracts first – though not Beltran right now.”

Finding a suitor for Nova should not be hard for the Yankees, as there are plenty of teams in the thick of the playoff race as the calendar switches to August. Teams like the Texas Rangers, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers could all use another arm in their rotation, not to mention the cross-town rival New York Mets.

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The Major League Baseball trade deadline has been moved to August 1 this year, which is a day later than the usual July 31st date. July 31 falls on a Sunday this year, so the teams will have one extra day to make moves.

For the Yankees, now is the time to strike while the iron is hot, because Nova has been great for the team in his last four starts. During that time, Nova has gone 2-0, posting a 2.66 earned run average.

The 29-year-old Nova was once considered an untouchable prospect, after winning 16 games for the Yankees as a 24-year-old. Since then, Nova has battled injuries and inconsistency, and is no longer the prospect he once was. However, the source says the Yankees are still asking for something big in return.

The Yankees went into Monday’s tilt against the Astros 7.5 games out of first place in the American League East, and 4.5 games out of the Wildcard. The next few days will be huge in deciding whether the team will be a buyer or seller during the trade deadline.

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