It’s time for Brett Gardner to go.
Listen. He’s a good player to have on your team. He plays great defense, he’s a clubhouse leader – a good veteran presence to have. But with a weak free agent market and the Yankees needing pitching, it’s time to flip Gardner for some arms.
The rumors have been swirling around the 33-year-old outfielder for a couple seasons now. His team-friendly contract ($24M over the next two years) plus the weak market makes him an even more attractive piece this offseason. The Yankees are not moving Jacoby Ellsbury and his massive contract, and it didn’t make sense to have two identical players on the same team in the first place.
With guys like Mason Williams, Clint Frazier, Jake Cave and Dustin Fowler waiting for opportunities, it makes sense to deal Gardner now. The Yankees are already committed to the youth movement. Why not go all-in? Gardner is coming off his first Gold Glove award. For a guy that relies on his legs, he’s at that age where his speed is still decent but it’s about to decline. His stock will not get any higher than it is right now, and the Yankees need to take advantage of that.
It was reported last week that Cashman has already received calls from a number of teams that are interested in Gardner. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports speculated that the Astros, who are in need of a left-handed bat, could be seriously interested in acquiring Gardner and/or Brian McCann. Cashman said he was “open to listening on anything”. The Yankees would likely want prospects back that they can add to their treasure-trove; the idea is to acquire as much talent as possible and see what sticks.
To put it plainly, the Yankees need pitching more than they need Gardner. Gardner put up a line of .261/.351/.362 with seven homers, 41 RBI and just 16 stolen bases, his lowest total since 2012. The Yankees have guys that can put up similar, or better, numbers all while doing it for the league minimum.
I know that Gardner is a beloved Yankee amongst most fans, and that there’s something about the homegrown guy – but I’ve always felt he was a fourth outfielder on most MLB teams. For a guy with his skill set, he’s not aggressive enough in my opinion. He’s moving further away from his prime years, and it’s time for the Yankees to get something in return for him. The time has never been more perfect than it is right now.
