Gardner

[Cubs Fan Dan]

http://m.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/yankees-talking-brett-gardner-for-starlin-castro-cubs-article-1.2441411

 

I don't like this unless we can pry away Andrew Miller

[UMFan83]

Not a huge Gardner fan but he has had 5 seasons of higher WAR than Starlin's best season. But can he play CF well?

 

Also NYDN reporting is dubious

Edited November 20, 2015 by UMFan83

[Guest]

without seeing more, i do not like this

[Banedon]

New York media has been trying to get Starlin Castro for ages. Granted, it's usually the Mets.

[Guest]

Not a huge Gardner fan but he has had 5 seasons of higher WAR than Starlin's best season. But can he play CF well?

 

Also NYDN reporting is dubious

 

his best days are likely behind him. dude is like 32 or 33.

[UMFan83]

Not a huge Gardner fan but he has had 5 seasons of higher WAR than Starlin's best season. But can he play CF well?

 

Also NYDN reporting is dubious

 

his best days are likely behind him. dude is like 32 or 33.

 

Just turned 32 but last 3 seasons in WAR are 3.3, 4.0 and 4.4 (BR numbers)

 

But I'm afraid I'm making myself look like I'm on Team Gardner so again I'll say I'm still not a huge fan.

[Guest]

Just sign Span, trading an infielder for a 30+ OF that isn't elite is not a great idea.

[RammyFanny]

Pass. The only way I miiiight consider it would be if we saved a decent chunk of change to use for more high quality pitchers but we are taking on yearly salary with Gardner.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It's not objectively bad value. The money is about the same. Gardner is older, less healthy and plays a less important position, but he's also been a better player by WAR the last three years by a win or so a year.

 

But it's not something I'm interested in. It makes Brett Gardner one of our starting outfielders and Javier Baez our starting 2b, and neither of those things I particularly want.

[Clem Fandango]

Just resign Fowler if that's the direction they want to go and keep Starlin (for the team or for a better deal)

[shnsajax]

Hoping this is just to get the talks going on Starlin, or as someone else mentioned Miller is thrown into the deal.

[toonsterwu]

I'm sure the Yankees are talking to the Cubs, but this deal would make no sense for the Cubs. It makes no sense for the Cubs, as the amount of money you are paying Gardner, for his post-prime years (at least 3/38, assuming buyout of the last year), would be about market rate. In that situation, you might as well give Denard Span 3 or 4 years and be done with it, because you aren't getting any major savings.

 

Now, if they decide to fork over other assets with Gardner, okay. I don't see the Yankees doing that, though.

[imb]

It seems like a viable option. Starlin had a really good month or whatever to end the year, but he is pretty objectively meh at best. Gardner would seem like selling high on Starlin.

 

If we go after Heyward and cheap(ish) pitching, Gardner wouldn't be needed. If we go after Price or Greinke or whatever, then Gardner would be cool with me.

[Cubswin11]

How is Brett freaking Gardner selling high on Starlin? He's basically an older, more expensive Coghlan who is slightly better at defense

[imb]

How is Brett freaking Gardner selling high on Starlin? He's basically an older, more expensive Coghlan who is slightly better at defense

 

Because he's much better than Starlin Castro?

[sneakypower]

Gardner's one of the most selective hitters in the game, while Castro expands the zone with alarming frequency which is the main reason i could see us being interested in this

 

but i really do hate watching Gardner play baseball

[Clem Fandango]

Brett Gardner is a poor man's Dexter Fowler.

[jersey cubs fan]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm sure the Yankees are talking to the Cubs, but this deal would make no sense for the Cubs. It makes no sense for the Cubs, as the amount of money you are paying Gardner, for his post-prime years (at least 3/38, assuming buyout of the last year), would be about market rate. In that situation, you might as well give Denard Span 3 or 4 years and be done with it, because you aren't getting any major savings.

 

Now, if they decide to fork over other assets with Gardner, okay. I don't see the Yankees doing that, though.

 

But we don't know that Castro is even at market rate. The problem is the amount of faith you need to have in Baez in this situation.

[SouthSideRyan]

How is Brett freaking Gardner selling high on Starlin? He's basically an older, more expensive Coghlan who is slightly better at defense

 

Because he's much better than Starlin Castro?

 

And Chris Coghlan.

[SouthSideRyan]

Brett Gardner is a poor man's Dexter Fowler.

 

Last year is the first season Fowler outperformed Gardner. Buoyed by a huge uptick in defensive numbers that it seems most believe are due to Wrigley/positioning.

[Cubswin11]

Brett Gardner is a poor man's Dexter Fowler.

 

Last year is the first season Fowler outperformed Gardner. Buoyed by a huge uptick in defensive numbers that it seems most believe are due to Wrigley/positioning.

I'm guessing Fowler would outperform Gardner in a lot of previous years if he was playing mostly LF like Gardner has almost every year of his career. 2013 is the only year Gardner has logged more innings in CF than LF in his career.

[Clem Fandango]

Brett Gardner is a poor man's Dexter Fowler.

 

Last year is the first season Fowler outperformed Gardner. Buoyed by a huge uptick in defensive numbers that it seems most believe are due to Wrigley/positioning.

I'm guessing Fowler would outperform Gardner in a lot of previous years if he was playing mostly LF like Gardner has almost every year of his career. 2013 is the only year Gardner has logged more innings in CF than LF in his career.

 

Plus Gardner is entering his mid-30's and has a skillset that relies on his speed, which isn't getting any faster. His two big WAR seasons, 2010 and 2011, were the only seasons he stole 40+ bases and which were, coincidentally, the two best defensive seasons of his career. Ever since he's been averaging 22 bags a season since 2013 and his defense has taken some pretty big steps back over that time span. He wasn't even perceived as a positive fielder by UZR standards (flawed as it may be) in LF this past season. Gardner is fading, IMO.

 

If Fowler's crowd sourced estimate is accurate, he'd make a couple million more than Gardner.

 

Gardner's current contract:

$52m / 4 Years (2015 - 2018) + 1 Option Years (Edit)

signed by New York Yankees on 2/24/2014 (Extension)

2015: $12M, 2016: $13M, 2017: $12M, 2018: $11M

2019 Team Option: $12.5M ($2M buyout)

 

Fowler's crowdsourced estimate:

Median Years: 4

Median AAV: $14 million

Total: $56 million

 

Average Years: 3.9

Average AAV: $13.8 million

Total: $54.3 million

 

I'd rather pay for Fowler's early 30's than Gardner's mid-30's. And if playing in Wrigley and being positioned by Maddon is what helped him be more successful this year, why would that be a knock against bringing Fowler back?

 

All that said, Heyward is the answer.