So earlier on the blog, if you were paying attention anyway,
you saw that the New York Yankees are “tapped out” according to reports and if
any deals are to be made for the remainder of this winter that the team would
have to clear out some payroll first so sticking with that as a theme here is
an idea that involves the Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner and a potential
trade partner. The San Francisco Giants seemingly love the Brett Gardner type,
speedy outfielder that plays defense and can hit at the top of the order, and
they may be the best and most logical fit for a trade if a trade were to go
down so who would the Yankees be interested in and could both teams make it
happen?
Now while Gardner is not going to be the teams saving grace
when it comes to payroll he is owed $12.5 million in 2017, $11.5 million in
2018 and the team has an option on the left fielder worth $12.5 million for the
2019 season with a $2 million buyout option. That’s not nothing so they say,
although I hate to use the double negative here on the blog. That’s not much to
the Yankees in the grand scheme of things but that also works both ways, it’s
presumably not much to the San Francisco Giants either who are in “win now”
mode after signing Mark Melancon to a free agent deal.
The Giants everyday left fielder Angel Pagan is officially a
free agent causing the team to, as it stands today of course, to go with either
Mac Williamson or Jarrett Parker in the spacious left field grass at AT&T
Park in San Francisco. If the Giants are truly desperate to win in 2017, and
they should be as every year that passes is another year off of Buster Posey
and Madison Bumgarner’s prime while Johnny Cueto can opt-out of his deal after
this season if he so chooses, the team might be willing to part with a few
intriguing prospects for Gardner.
I don’t pretend to be all-knowing in terms of anyone else’s
farm system but from a quick look at MLB.com’s top Giants prospects list the
names Chris Shaw (left-handed power-hitting first baseman) quickly stood out
from above the rest. Obviously Christian Arroyo, an infielder and the Giants
top prospect, did as well but you are definitely not fetching him for Gardner
in my opinion. Not alone anyway.
The deal makes sense for both sides. Gardner’s gap power,
speed and defense would fit the Giants roster well while the prospects the
Giants would presumably send back would fit in with the Yankees newly found
austerity and youth movement. So what are you waiting for? Make the deal
already.
