The Yankees want to add a starter, but do not feel anyone in the marketplace warrants an elite return. The Blue Jays think J.A. Happ might be the best starter traded and want to maximize him.

Thus, Toronto was continuing to negotiate with multiple teams Wednesday night with the industry belief that the Yankees and Brewers were the front-runners. The Cubs were said to have checked in on fellow Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman and also might be in play for Happ.

Happ pitched well over the first three months, but has a 7.41 ERA in four July starts. Because of that and because Happ is a free agent after this season, the Yanks rejected Toronto’s initial requests as too high. The Blue Jays have lowered their offer in recent days and the Yankees became more engaged again.