Miami Signs Edwin Jackson, Unlikely to Acquire Nova?

I don't pretend to be an expert on all things Major League Baseball. I used to be but when I had kids some things had to go by the wayside. I stopped watching the NFL for the most part and I completely stopped watching the NBA but I always made room for as much baseball and college football as I could. When I had my second child a lot of college football went by the wayside and some of my baseball, although I still catch each and every Yankees game every season in some capacity. I said all that to say this, I no longer can name all 30 team's 25 man rosters, needs and trade pieces but one thing caught my eye this week on MLB Trade Rumors. First it was that the Miami Marlins were actually interested in the Yankees starter Ivan Nova and then it was that this same Miami squad signed Edwin Jackson to a major league deal. Does one report contradict the other?

I'm not so sure. The Edwin Jackson I truly remember, the one who was traded every year for a decade it seems, was a starting pitcher but I am well aware that he was converted into a reliever with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves as recently as 2015. I am not entirely sure if Miami plans on having Jackson essentially replace Steve Cishek in their bullpen or if he is going to be counted on as a reliable back-end of the rotation starter. Until that I cannot make a true determination on whether Miami is still interested in Nova or not. I can speculate though...

My speculation is this, Jackson may go to Spring Training camp as a starter and may start some games this March but the only way he is making the MLB roster with Miami is out of the bullpen. I guess this would have to mean that the Marlins are still interested in a potential trade for Ivan Nova. Again, this is all speculation on my part. I guess we'll all have to stay tuned and find out.

Andrew Miller's Agent: Yankees Just One of Many Teams Pursuing My Client

ESPN's Buster Olney reported Monday that the Yankees are "strongly pursuing" former Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the front runner for his services.

Milller's agent, Mark Rodgers, recently revealed so to The New York Post's Joel Sherman. Miller, 29, is coming off an impressive 2014 with the Red Sox and Orioles, in which he recorded a 2.02 ERA in 62 1/3 innings pitched.

Those numbers came with Miller primarily working as a set-up man, a position Dellin Betances held with the Yankees last season.

“I am talking to several teams about Andrew, and it has been fairly widely reported that the Yankees are one of the teams interested,” Rodgers said. 

There's definitely a chance the Yankees sudden interest in Miller has something to do with David Robertson's determination to get a four-year/$52 million deal this offseason, especially when you consider the team already has Betances ready to step into his role.

Nonetheless, it's also a possibility they just want to upgrade their bullpen in light of last month's trade for the Pirates' Justin Wilson, who joins many other notable names already in the group. That swap featured the Yankees cutting ties with longtime catcher Francisco Cervelli, proving that they meant business when they made it.

Either way, it's a for-certain fact the Yankees have spoken to Rodgers, regardless of their current place in the competition for his client.

“They are still interested," Rodgers said, "but I will not elaborate on the talks. There is a natural progression ongoing and we are sorting through the issues.”

It is unknown exactly which other clubs have talked to Miller, but it's a safe bet two of them were the Dodgers and Astros.

Monday was a busy day for the Yankees, with New York also reaching out to the Braves and Marlins during the 24-hour-period. It's likely the Yankees were contacting them about the availability of closers Craig Kimbrel and Steve Cishek, who successfully converted 47 and 39 save opportunites last year, respectively.