Yankees Brett Gardner an Attractive Trade Chip at Deadline

Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner would be a nice fit on many contending clubs if New York decides to move him at the August 1st trade deadline.

A respected clubhouse leader and one of the longest tenured active Yankees, Brett Gardner is one of the farm system’s few success stories of the past two decades. So why would the club trade their homegrown star in just the second season of his four year $52 million extension?

Simply put, Gardner is one of the team’s few proven players you could argue is still in his prime years (if you really squint). It’s been an up and down season for the 32-year-old leftfielder, but he has hit a respectable .261/.351/.365 (96 wRC+) in 378 PA and been worth 1.6 fWAR in 90 games place. He’s on pace to be a solid average regular after three seasons of being a fringe-All Star type.

Although not exactly a steal, $23 million combined for Gardner’s age 33 and 34 seasons is probably a little below market value, so he’s one of the few players on the roster the Yankees wouldn’t have to pay a team to take.

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If he’s made available, he would be one of the more sought-after outfielders on the trade market. His ability to play centerfield further increases his appeal. The Yankees shopped Gardner all winter, and many of the teams who were rumored to be interested in the offseason still make sense as potential matches.

As for what they could get in return, one veteran National League scout told Yankees beat writer Randy Miller of NJ.com:

If you package Gardner with Andrew Miller, you might be able to get three good prospects back. If you trade him by himself, you can get a prospect that you like. Gardner has value.”

Here are a few of the clubs who could take a look at Brett Gardner before the August 1st trade deadline:

Washington Nationals– Seen by many as the frontrunners for Aroldis Chapman, the Nationals also have a hole in centerfield (Michael Taylor has a 74 wRC+). Packaging Gardy with the Cuban Missle could land one of Washington’s premium arms. If the Yankees toss in a few nice secondary pieces (the disgruntled Jorge Mateo?), it might be worth asking about Lucas Giolito.

Chicago Cubs– Gardner was the original asking price in the Starlin Castro trade this winter before they eventually settled on Adam Warren. The Cubs have no real place to put him at the moment, but Joe Maddon loves moving pieces around in his lineup. As with Washington, this probably makes the most sense if Gardner serves as a secondary piece in a trade, in this situation alongside Andrew Miller. The Cubs have made it clear they don’t want to trade Kyle Schwarber, but they have plenty of other MLB-ready young talent to offer. 

Cleveland Indians– The Yankees reportedly were involved in talks for one of Cleveland’s young starting pitchers this offseason and were offering Gardner in return. Indians star outfielder Michael Brantley was expected back in April, but he is still sidelined after multiple setbacks. The Indians front office is reportedly more willing than usual to swing a big blockbuster upon finding themselves in first place in the AL Central with a talented young core. They’ve been linked to Chapman and Miller, but Gardner may be an even better fit for the Tribe.

Los Angeles Angels– Because they have Mike Trout and a number of other veterans signed long-term (not to mention the worst farm system in baseball), the Angels don’t seem inclined to sell outright. Instead, they are likely to attempt to reload for 2017 when ace Garrett Richards and some other key contributors are fully healthy. Los Angeles has a major hole to fill in leftfield, and their lineup is extremely thin aside from Trout and Kole Calhoun. Could former Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler swing a deal with his old boss? Matt Shoemaker seems like a nice fit for New York’s needs.

Next: Yankees Top Five Priorities at the Trade Deadline

Seattle Mariners– Yet another team who kicked the tires on Brett Gardner this winter. The Mariners are another club who aren’t having a ton of success this season, but have too many veterans on big contracts to do a complete tear down. Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Felix Hernandez give them a nice (although aging) nucleus, Seattle just needs to add some better role players to support them. Gardy would be a nice start with none of their outfielders playing particularly well.