Jose Fernandez Rumors: 12-8-2015

We’ve heard persistent rumors that the Marlins could still be willing to listen to trade offers for star righty Jose Fernandez, even if the asking price is incredibly steep. Though president of baseball operations Michael Hill said yesterday that Fernandez is “not available,” the rumors have carried over into the second day of the Winter Meetings.

Here’s the latest:

• The Dodgers have discussed trying to involve a third team in trade talks for Fernandez, according to Rosenthal (Twitter link).

Earlier Updates

• Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria says there’s “nothing I am thinking about doing at the moment” with Fernandez, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets.
• Yankees sources tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter links) that the team never offered Severino and isn’t interested in doing so. The club has not held “substantive talks” on Fernandez, per the report.
• About a dozen clubs have inquired on Fernandez, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports (Twitter links). The Dodgers appear to be the best match, he says, if they’d part with Seager, Urias, and more. Needless to say, that’s a big “if.” The Yankees were willing to give up their best young arm, Luis Severino, per the report, but Frisaro adds that it doesn’t seem New York has enough to give for Fernandez even if it included first baseman Greg Bird.
• The Giants have also had conversations with Miami about Fernandez, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Meanwhile, the Dodgers appear unwilling to involve Corey Seager in any deal but could consider including top pitching prospect Julio Urias in a package.
• Miami appears to be engaging in discussions on Fernandez more to gauge his future value than to structure a deal right now, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald writes.
• A rival executive tells Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that Miami still does not seem terribly willing to part with Fernandez. “They haven’t proposed anything reasonable enough to make people think they want to deal,” said the anonymous source.
• A source tells Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter) that the Astros aren’t the “mystery team” pursuing Fernandez.
• There’s a mystery team entering the picture on Fernandez with a “very strong” bid, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark reports. Sources with “other clubs” tell Stark that the Astros are believed to be the shadowy pursuer. Stark also adds that a deal increasingly seems plausible, with Miami possibly holding off on pursing a Marcell Ozuna deal while the team explores the addition of an outfielder through a trade of Fernandez.
• As Stark notes in the story, he previously reported that the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Yankees have at least contacted the Marlins regarding Fernandez, though Arizona is said to have dropped out of the picture.