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MLB Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Latest Buzz from Winter Meetings

The MLB hot stove is cooking with gas, which means rumors are flying in every direction now that the 2015 winter meetings are in full swing in Nashville, Tennessee. 

So without wasting any time, here's a rundown of where some of the hottest names in baseball could be headed in the coming minutes, hours and days. 

 

Yankees, Cubs Talking Castro Trade

Starlin Castro has been a hot trade candidate since hitting a rough patch at the plate during the 2015 season, and the New York Yankees appear intrigued by the possibility of adding the 25-year-old to their infield. 

Rosenthal provided an update on talks between the Yankees and Chicago Cubs:     

Joel Sherman of the New York Post provided rationale for why the Yankees would consider pouncing on Castro: 

The Yankees have Didi Gregorius penciled in at shortstop, but they have a void to fill at second base. And in that regard, Castro makes perfect sense.

As Sherman noted, Castro bounced back beautifully over the season's homestretch, and his ability to provide a steady glove at second would be invaluable to a team that finished 27th in defense runs saved, per FanGraphs.  

Castro is also under team control through the 2019 season at $37 million total before he's presented with a $16 million club option in 2020, per Spotrac.com. Considering how cheap that deal is relative to Castro's All Star-caliber performance, the Yankees would be silly not to pull the trigger if Chicago's asking price is reasonable. 

New York's second basemen combined to tally an MLB-low 122 hits last season, per ESPN.com, and Castro could bolster what's already a potent Yankees lineup. 

 

Rangers Shopping Prince Fielder?

Prince Fielder bounced back in a big way throughout the 2015 season, and the Texas Rangers are reportedly looking to parlay the power hitter's resurgence into a salary dump, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News

However, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels offered a swift reply to Grant's report, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Jeff Wilson: 

Whether the Rangers are looking to trade Fielder or not, it would be hard to fault them for entertaining the idea. The designated hitter is coming off a stellar season that saw him bat .305 with 23 home runs and 98 RBI.

As a result, rival teams could view Fielder in a more favorable light. Thus, it would behoove the Rangers to try to get ahead of an eventual decline and try to see if another squad would be interested in eating up a portion of Fielder's contract. According to Spotrac.com, Fielder is due $24 million every season through 2020.  

Fielder, 31, has plenty of value as a basher of baseballs, but now that he's on the wrong side of 30 with $120 million guaranteed coming his way, it would be a tad shocking to see a team swoop in and willingly take on such a hefty financial burden. 

 

Angels in the Market for Outfield Help

FoxSports.com's Jon Morosi reported the Los Angeles Angels are engaged in "ongoing conversations" with the representatives for free-agent outfielder Justin Upton, but the American League West contenders could be in the market to make a smaller move to bolster their outfield depth. 

According to MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez, the Angels have one of the Philadelphia Phillies' youngsters in their sights: 

Cody Asche split his time between third base and left field last season, and he acquitted himself nicely after the arrival of heralded rookie Maikel Franco pushed him to the outfield. 

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Asche posted a .982 fielding percentage in left field while batting .245 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI. Factor in his team-friendly contract, ability to fill in at third base and untapped potential at just 25 years old, and Asche could be a nice, cheap get for an Angels team looking to pad its roster with some young talent. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

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