Yankees, Mariners have Discussed Brett Gardner?
As day three of the 2015 General Manager Meetings are set to get underway in Boca Raton, Florida, it’s becoming more and more clear that the New York Yankees are looking to make some trades.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees and Mariners have discussed the possibility of trading Brett Gardner.
Though no terms of the trade have been revealed, Brett ‘the hit man’ Gardner has been a player that newly appointed Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto has coveted for quite some time, as per Sherman. Interestingly enough, as part of the six-player trade last week between Tampa and Seattle headlined by Nate Karns, the M’s also acquired Rays prospect Boog Powell, who is commonly compared to Brett Gardner in terms of his major league ceiling.
That said, Powell isn’t expected to break into the major leagues until at least 2016, and with the Mariners currently in win-now mode, Brett Gardner would be an appealing acquisition. One of the Mariners biggest needs is adding a speedy veteran who can wreak havoc on the base paths in front of Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz and ex-Yankee Robinson Cano. Also, as Sherman noted, only two players from Mariners who recorded over 200 at-bats had a higher on-base percentage than Gardner’s .343.
The Yankees on the other hand are looking to acquire top-end starting pitching. Obviously ‘King’ Felix Hernandez and Taijuan Walker would be off-limits unless the Yankees chalk up way more than just Gardner, but according to Sherman, the Mariners are willing to listen in on offers for 27-year old southpaw James Paxton, who draws comparisons to my favorite Yankees legend ‘Dandy’ Andy Pettitte.
Between 2013 and 2014 James Paxton was one of the more interesting pitchers in baseball, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.50 ERA in four stars as a September call up in 2013 and a 6-4 record with a 3.04 ERA in 13 games started in 2014. Unfortunately he was limited to just 13 starts again in 2015 thanks to a string on injuries, but the Yankees still seem interested.
According to Sherman;
"“Paxton was among the pitchers the Yankees were looking at more intensely late in the season and now in the Arizona Fall League under the belief they could become available in the offseason.”"
Gardner is one of the outspoken leaders in the Yankees clubhouse, but after two bad second halves in consecutive years and three-years remaining with $39.5 million left on his current contract, he is the easiest asset to move via trade for the New York Yankees.
Still, I’d rather see the Yankees trade Gardner for value in return instead of just giving him up for payroll flexibility, and I’m sure is James Paxton is a sizable return.
What do you think Yankees fans? Let us know in the comments below.
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