The Rangers are looking for starting pitching and the Yankees have Sonny Gray, previous interest in Jurickson Profar and a short-term need at shortstop with Didi Gregorius expected to miss a minimum of two months of the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. But in part because Gray is a free agent after 2019 and Profar is two years away, the Rangers would need more to consider a deal. The Yankees do have multiple suitors for Gray.

Yusei Kikuchi is scheduled to come to the United States next week to take a physical and then will return to Japan with the expectation he will be posted in late November. The Scott Boras client is expected to have wide appeal to teams seeking a mid-rotation type. The lefty was 14-4 with a 3.08 ERA in 2018 for the Seibu Lions.

The Blue Jays are willing to eat a portion of the $20 million Russell Martin is owed in 2019 to facilitate a trade. Martin, though, turns 36 in February and is coming off a .194 season. Nevertheless, he still is a patient hitter with some pop who is thought of as a good leader and defender. Perhaps he can be put somewhere on the Mets’ list of options.

Matt Holliday, who seemed retired for most of last season, does want to try to hook on somewhere and play in 2019. He did not sign last season until July 29, with the team that drafted him, the Rockies. Holliday, 39 in January, hit .283 with an .849 OPS in 25 games.

Washington made, in the words of GM Mike Rizzo, an “aggressive, fair offer” that was 10 years at about $300 million on the last day of the regular season that Bryce Harper spurned. The proposal has now been pulled. Rizzo said, “I would not describe us as done” with Harper now that he is a free agent, but “we are going about our offseason business to put together the best team we can.”

The Nats are fixating on catcher and rotation help. Would Rizzo go back to the Harper camp for a last-ditch effort if he was about to use funds that would make the retention of the slugger impossible?

“It is a good question, a good hypothetical,” Rizzo replied. “At that point, you have to have a conversation with [ownership] and decide what you are doing.”

Rays VP of baseball operations Chaim Bloom finished as the runner-up this offseason for the Mets’ GM job and to be the Giants’ head of baseball operations. In previous years, he was the bridesmaid for the Phillies’ GM job and, at minimum, in the final cluster for GM jobs with the Brewers and Twins.

“Naturally any time you have an opportunity at a job that appeals to you and you do not end up with the job, there is naturally disappointment,” Bloom said. “But two things: One, I believe strongly in mutual fit. Two, that is what I have with the Rays. It is a great organization with great people, and I am proud of what we have done and the chance to push ahead to try now to get to the postseason. Because of that I feel incredibly fortunate.”