New York Yankees Trade Rumors: Will Brian Cashman Deal Brett Gardner?
New York Yankees trade rumors about outfielder Brett Gardner have now been addressed by team general manager Brian Cashman. Many previous MLB trade rumors have linked Gardner to other teams, as the Yankees have been working hard to deal the veteran outfielder before Spring Training. A report by MLB analyst Bryan Hoch seems to indicate that Gardner is still going to be on the Yankees’ roster for Opening Day 2017.
Gardner is now 33 and still has three years remaining on his current contract. It does include a team option of $12.5 million for the 2019 MLB season, allowing the team to give Gardner a $2 million buyout. For the 2017 MLB season, he will earn $12.5 million, followed by a salary of $11.5 million in 2018. It’s an expensive contract for a corner outfielder with very little power and diminishing speed on the base paths.
One of the main reasons for these New York Yankees trade rumors about Brett Gardner is that Brian Cashman is trying to continue a “youth movement” with the 25-man roster. With Gardner struggling at the plate again last season, it may be time for the franchise to move in a different direction. That could include using Gardner off the bench if the team cannot find the right deal during the MLB off-season.
In 148 games last year, Garder had 634 plate appearances for the Yankees. He had a 0.261 batting average, seven home runs, 41 RBIs, and 80 runs scored. Gardner was also down to just 16 stolen bases for the year, which continues a trend of that stat dropping over the past four years. His extended statistics weren’t that good either, as he posted a 0.713 OPS and an OPS+ of just 92. Those aren’t numbers typically correlated with the salary he is getting paid.
There are several different New York Yankees trade rumors about offers the team has received for Brett Gardner. While Brian Cashman didn’t confirm details about what the offers entailed, he has stated that every offer has been rejected. It is assumed that he has also had offers rejected by other teams in the negotiating phase, likely asking teams for prospects or starting pitching in return for Gardner.
Earlier rumors of Gardner being involved as part of a deal to acquire Jose Quintana from the Chicago White Sox have also not been confirmed, but that offer would make sense from Cashman. The Yankees are trying hard to acquire starting pitching without giving up too many prospects in the system. While Quintana would fit nicely in the starting rotation for New York, the front office has shown no willingness to overpay in the current market.
There are a lot of New York Yankees fans who really like Brett Gardner, so he has become a bit of a fan favorite for the franchise. He plays hard every day, possibly getting more credit for the stats he is putting up than a typical player would receive. While Gardner is now getting paid the salary of a star player, he has yet to fulfill the potential he showed as a young prospect for the franchise. His name gets mentioned nearly every season as a player the franchise could be parting ways with soon, but yet he still remains a starting outfielder for the team.
Even if Opening Day rolls around and Gardner is still on the 25-man roster, it won’t be the end of MLB trade rumors mentioning his name. The Yankees simply have too many young players who may need a corner outfield spot very soon. That means Gardner will lose his starting job very soon, whether it is because he gets sent another team or he simply becomes a good utility outfielder off the bench. Either way, fans of the team should expect more New York Yankees trade rumors about him during the regular season.
[Featured Image by Adam Hunger/Getty Images]
