MLB Rumors: Yankees' Luke Voit, Padres' Eric Hosmer Trade Buzz; Latest on Mets

Interest in players as part of deals that never came to fruition is the theme of current MLB rumors and innuendo.

New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit drew interest from a team that already has someone at his position but is looking to create some additional output in a high-powered National League, especially as the designated hitter becomes a very real possibility.

The Chicago Cubs nearly acquired Eric Hosmer from the San Diego Padres, but might it have been another component of a proposed trade that was of greater interest?

And who is the current favorite to take over a New York Mets organization hungry for championships?

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the Milwaukee Brewers have previously had interest in New York Yankees first baseman Luke Voit. This apparently despite the Brewers already having Rowdy Tellez at first base after acquiring him from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Statistically, Voit (11 HR, 36 RBI, .305 OBP) and Tellez (11 HR, 35 RBI, .328 OBP) were very similar in 2021. Voit is a better, more consistent player, so it makes sense the team would take a look at bringing him on board. The ongoing discussion regarding a designated hitter in the collective bargaining agreement would allow the Brewers the opportunity to bring both in as they look to bolster their lineup.

Of course, the fact that Milwaukee does have Tellez could indicate the interest in Voit was fleeting. Still, the loss of players like Avisail Garcia has left the Brewers seeking more offensive firepower. Voit may not be the biggest bat available, but he would add to a team that needs any little bit of pop it can get as it looks to compete in an NL that has gotten better during free agency and is home to the reigning World Series champions.

Over the summer, the San Diego Padres engaged in conversations with the Chicago Cubs that would have sent Eric Hosmer "and a highly regarded prospect" to Chi-Town, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reported Sunday.

It is not yet known what the Cubs would have given up in the transaction, though The Athletic's Dennis Lin reported in October that the Padres were looking into Anthony Rizzo around the trade deadline, making it at least a possibility that they were looking to swap players, as Mark Polishuk of MLB Trade Rumors has noted.

Hosmer's decline in hitting (12 HR, 65 RBI, .269 AVG) and the team's luxury-tax issues make him more expendable than he otherwise may have been.

For the Cubs, any value in a trade with the Padres would be in the form of prospects. Hosmer isn't going to suddenly make them a contender. The prospects, depending on who they were, would have given the Cubs a foundation on which to build their future.

Especially since Chicago itself sold off quite a few stars last summer and would most likely not be in the market for replenishing them.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported the Mets have cut their manager list to three.

Buck Showalter, Joe Espada and Matt Quatraro have been invited back for a second round of interviews, per the report.

Showalter is considered the favorite and should be, if for no other reason than his experience in the role and his ability to build playoff teams. That new Met and future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer wants Showalter and has made it clear, according to Inside the Mets' Pat Ragazzo, only ramps up speculation that the veteran skipper will be tapped to turn the Mets into a consistent playoff contender.

An old-school manager, he knows how to handle media, which will be of great benefit in New York. Where he potentially faces issues is his ability to adapt to a front office that will very much want its hands in personnel decisions. Showalter, during his time in Baltimore, produced four winning seasons out of eight, a .500 record that will not fly in the Big Apple.

Espada has a history of interviewing for manager positions but never getting them, while Quatraro has been a bench coach for the Tampa Bay Rays.