Brian Cashman and the Market for Brett Gardner

The New York Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman are going to have to be aggressive and a bit creative this offseason if they want to make any major moves to the ball club. Without the unlikely additions of payroll from owner Hal Steinbrenner the Yankees salary and roster is all but set for the 2016 season thus forcing Cashman into the trade market for upgrades. Cashman has already pulled off a pair of deals acquiring RHP Ronald Herrera and CF Aaron Hicks in separate deals involving Jose Pirela and John Ryan Murphy and is also rumored to be shopping absolutely everyone, especially closer Andrew Miller and left fielder Brett Gardner.

The problem for Cashman is that it seems like many teams or GM’s simply aren’t impressed with what the Yankees are offering or refuse to deal with Cashman or the team. Whenever Cashman makes a deal it seems like the same handful of teams are always involved. Teams like the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, the Detroit Tigers under Dave Dombrowski and the Seattle Mariners. If this is true and only a handful of teams will deal with Cashman then the market for Gardner is drying up after the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners made a deal this week involving center fielder Leonys Martin.

Using the Martin and Tom Wilhelmsen deal that Seattle just paid for as a guide to what to ask for in the Gardner negotiations you can see that New York can continue getting younger and more flexible with a trade. Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners new GM, gave up right-handed relief pitcher Wilhelmsen, outfield prospect James Jones and a player to be named later. Seattle also received right-handed relief pitcher Anthony Bass in return in the deal. Martin is coming off one of his worst seasons of his career offensively where the Cuban defecting center fielder hit just .219 in 95 games. Martin missed most of August and September after breaking a bone in his right hand. Gardner you would have to think brings more value in a trade that Martin, a substantial more.

Maybe Danny Salazar or Carlos Carrasco? More on that later. 

Finding a suitable trade partner may be tough for Gardner but in a market thin on speedy center fielders that can hit 15 home runs a season his value may never be higher. Gardner has had a couple consecutive disappointing second half stretches now but if Cashman can find a partner he may get two or three Major League ready and Major League useful pieces in return thus opening the door for either Justin Upton, Yoenis Cespedes, Jason Heyward, Aaron Hicks or someone the ninja has in mind that we know absolutely nothing about. Stay tuned.