The Yankees are interested in Torii Hunter

Nick Swisher is a free agent and is likely going to command a multi-year deal. Torii Hunter is also a free agent and, at age 37, is likely to command a shorter deal. Ergo:

The Yankees have interest in Torii Hunter, a source said. Hunter is unlikely to get a qualifying offer, so he wouldn’t cost a draft pick.

— Mark Feinsand (@BloggingBombers) November 1, 2012

Hunter had a nice season in 2012, hitting .311/.365/.451 with 16 homers and 92 RBI. While he isn’t the defensive genius he once was, he’s still quite good on a corner and is known as one of the best clubhouse/character/media guys in the game. If the Yankees went for him instead of making a run at keeping Swisher, they’d have better outfield defense at the expense of not having a guy who could cover first base like Swisher can.

I think most teams would love to have Hunter on a one or a two-year deal.

The Yankees appear to have moved on from free agent Manny Machado this winter, but could they be turning their attention to Rockies superstar Nolan Arenado? That’s the idea floated by Andy Martino of SNY, who hears that GM Brian Cashman has been involved in recent discussions concerning the third baseman. No official comments have been made to the press yet, though, and it’s not clear whether the Yankees would prefer to pursue Arenado prior to the 2019 season or partway through it.

The 27-year-old infielder earned his fourth consecutive All-Star nomination, Silver Slugger, and Gold Glove award in 2018 after slashing .297/.374/.561 with 38 home runs, a .935 OPS, and 5.7 fWAR across 673 plate appearances. There’s no question he’s provided immense value to Colorado’s lineup over the last half-decade, and his consistency and incredible power at the plate helped form the basis of the record $30 million arbitration figure he presented to the team last week. The Rockies countered at $24 million, however, and in doing so may have jeopardized their chances of convincing the infielder to forego free agency in 2020 and take a long-term deal instead.

Assuming he declines to negotiate an extension with the Rockies, Arenado’s decorated résumé and career-best 2018 numbers should attract plenty of interest around the league — a reality that could put considerable pressure on the Yankees (or any other interested party) to finesse a deal sooner rather than later. For now, the club is prepared to enter the 2019 season with hot-hitting third baseman Miguel Andújar, whom Martino speculates would be the “centerpiece” of any trade with Colorado.