To this point, it has been rumored that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez could be on his way to the Miami Marlins in a trade, and Yankees GM Brian Cashman has denied said rumors.
ESPN is throwing its hat into the ring on Wednesday, saying that a specific conversation between Yankees president Randy Levine and Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria could have lead to substantial trade talks. More than that, the report says that Miami is likely the only place that A-Rod would accept a trade to:
A second source with knowledge of Rodriguez' thinking said the likely only place Rodriguez eventually would accept a trade to is Miami. Rodriguez has five years and $114 million remaining on his contract, not including milestone home run bonuses.
According to the report, the conversation between the two had Loria saying that Alex is "Mr. Miami," and that it "would be great if he played here for us." Levine reportedly then responded with "You can have him." The conversation was said to have been light-hearted and not evidence of actual, factual trade talks, but the report does say it could have been the catalyst for potential talks in the future.
Rodriguez has been struggling this season, and is just 3-for-23 in the postseason, with 12 strikeouts against right-handers. It certainly would seem as though the Yankees could move him this offseason. If Miami is willing, Rodriguez's reported interest in the Marlins could help facilitate such a trade.