Brew another pot of coffee and splash some water on your face, because Brian Cashman isn’t sleeping this offseason. After making some smaller moves thus far, word has come out that the Yankees are talking to the Chicago Cubs about trading outfielder Brett Gardner for shortstop Starlin Castro.
Castro, 25, was one of Major League Baseball’s top prospects a few years ago. In his first two seasons with the Cubs, his batting average exceeded .300 and he was quickly becoming a star and the face of the Cubs. However, with the influx of young talent coming through the Cubs’ system (Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, etc.) his name has been in trade talks for a while. He only batted .265 last season, but at such a young age, many figure he’ll return to his rookie form. His biggest weakness is in the field, where he has shown he isn’t the most efficient shortstop. He committed six errors last season, which was a significant drop from the previous season when he committed 18.
If the Yankees do acquire Castro, he will most likely play second base due to Didi Gregorius playing an outstanding shortstop in his debut season with New York. Playing second will cover up some of Castro’s flaws in the field, but it would also make young stud Rob Refsnyder an asset the Yankees can trade in the future, preferably for starting pitching.
Brett Gardner has been the hottest name on the Yankees in regards to trade talks, so it seems likely he’ll be wearing another uniform come April. If Cashman can pull this move off, the dominoes will begin to fall as more trades will emerge as possibilities.
GARDY GOING YARDY? @Yankees discuss trading Brett Gardner for Cubs’ Starlin Castro https://t.co/S1e94N6VbT pic.twitter.com/RROW7XgLpN
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 20, 2015
