The New York Yankees have reportedly engaged in trade discussions involving outfielder Brett Gardner as they look to bolster their rotation depth.
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Yanks In Preliminary Gardner Talks with Seattle Mariners
Wednesday, Nov. 11
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto is a longtime admirer of the 32-year-old outfielder. One named that's popped up in talks is James Paxton as Seattle is unwilling to part with Taijuan Walker, but no move is viewed as imminent at this stage.
Gardner is coming off of another solid campaign at the plate and in the field. He posted a .343 on-base percentage with 16 home runs, 94 runs scored and 20 stolen bases in 151 games.
His defensive metrics have fallen off a bit since the early years of his career, when he rated as one of baseball's top outfielders. That said, he's still been a plus-defender in every season based on Defensive Runs Saved, according to FanGraphs.
Paxton is a bit of a late bloomer with just 30 starts in the majors at age 27. His numbers are those of somebody who can be an effective piece of the rotation moving forward with a 3.16 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 165 innings.
The New York Post report noted Gardner's contract is part of the reason the Yankees are considering a trade. They want some additional payroll flexibility, and he's scheduled to make at least $11 million in each of the next three seasons, per Spotrac.
Ultimately, it's likely going to take several more pieces along with Paxton for the Mariners to acquire Gardner. But given the money he's owed and the fact he's at the back-end of his prime means the Yankees probably won't get true market value if they do decide to trade him this offseason.
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