Yankees Rumors: Gardner Could Be Hot Commodity

New York Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner is expected to be a popular name on the trade market this winter if the team makes him available.

While ousted New York Yankees starting catcher Brian McCann was one of the most-discussed trade candidates of the 2016 General Managers’ Meetings, things have been fairly quiet on the Brett Gardner front, despite the fact that both players have been seen by analysts as equally likely to be moved this winter.

According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, that could soon change. In his latest column, Cafardo says he expects that several clubs who are in need of  in a left-handed bat of leadoff hitter could inquire on Gardner this offseason and cites GM Brian Cashman as saying he is “Open to listening on anything.”

One team with a notably righty-heavy lineup who has already had discussions with the Yankees about McCann recently is the Houston Astros. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has speculated that Houston could be interested in a package of both Mac and Gardy.

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Bundling both players would not only clear about $30 million in payroll for New York but potentially bring back the promising young starting pitcher the Yankees have been seeking since last offseason.

23-year-old Joe Musgrove, who was the 83rd ranked prospect on Baseball America’s list prior to the season, would be an intriguing fit. The young righty made his MLB debut this year and pitched to a 4.06 ERA in 62 IP while striking out 21.5% of batters and walking 6.3%.

The Nationals, Cardinals, Giants Mariners, Rangers, Angels, and Phillies all jump out as other clubs who could be in the market for a center fielder and leadoff hitter this winter. The Orioles, Blue Jays, and Mets are all fits as well, but trading a homegrown star within the division or across town seems very unlikely.

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Gardner is very unlikely to return a quality young starter on his own, so if he isn’t packaged with McCann, it’s more likely he’s simply traded for prospects and salary relief. It is reasonable to expect that some combination of Aaron Hicks, Mason Williams, and Clint Frazier can provide similar production to Gardy at a fraction of the price.