Entering the GM meetings this week, Brian Cashman said that he’s willing to talk about anyone on the current roster. According to Joel Sherman of the NY Post, he’s engaged the Mariners in talks for all-star outfielder Brett Gardner.
Gardner, 32, has been the subject of trade talks for the past few years. He’s especially attractive because he only has three years and $39.5M left on his deal. Sherman notes that talks aren’t “far along” with any one team, but says that Mariners’ GM Jerry Dipoto has always liked Gardner, going back to his days as an executive with the Diamondbacks and Angels.
The Yankees would likely want young, high-end pitching in return since Adam Warren and Luis Severino are the only starters that will be under team control after 2016 or 2017. Mariners starter Taijuan Walker is reportedly off the table, but Seattle is willing to talk about 27-year-old lefty James Paxton.
Paxton, whose windup is similar to Andy Pettitte‘s, has been on the Yankees’ radar recently. The Yankees kept an eye on him late in the season and now in the Arizona Fall League, with the hopes that he’d be made available this winter. Paxton is currently 1-3 with a 4.43 ERA in five AFL starts. He missed four months this season with a strained middle finger on his pitching hand, but he’s been effective when healthy. He’s 12-8 with a 3.16 ERA over parts of three seasons with Seattle.
Although Gardner is a fan favorite and a team leader, he is 32 and relies heavily on his legs. The Yankees aren’t expected to add a high-end starter through free agency this winter, so Cashman will have to be creative through trades.
Column https://t.co/YPQ8JmBvtI Cashman has said open to anything, @Mariners like Gardner, is there s deal to make? #Yankees
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) November 11, 2015
